Throughout the course of the long war in Afghanistan, Coalition troops have relied on thousands of military working dogs to help keep them safe, and make their jobs easier. The dogs are trained to detect explosives, to find illegal drugs, to search for missing comrades, or target enemy combatants. Not only are they active on the front lines, but behind the lines they serve as therapy dogs, service dogs, and loyal companions. They also share the same risks as the ground troops, suffering injuries and sometimes death on the battlefields. Gathered here are images of these dogs and their handlers in Afghanistan and back home, from over the past several years, part of the ongoing series here on Afghanistan.

Sap runs out of a frankincense tree near Mader Moge, Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia on August 4, 2016In a tradition dating to Biblical times, men rise at dawn in the rugged Cal Madow mountains of Somaliland in the Horn of Africa to scale rocky outcrops in search of the prized sap of wild frankincense trees. (Photo by Jason Patinkin/AP Photo)

Ukrainians jump over a bonfire in Kiev, Ukraine, 06 July 2019, as they celebrate the traditional pagan holiday of Ivana Kupala. Ivana Kupala is celebrated, during the summer solstice, on the shortest night of the year, marking the beginning of summer and is celebrated in Ukraine, Belarus, Poland and Russia. People sing and dance around bonfires, play games and perform traditional rituals. Young people jump over bonfires in order to test their bravery. Couples holding hands jump over the flames to test their love. If the couple does not succeed it is predicted to split up. Traditionally, children and young unmarried women wear wreaths of wild flowers on their heads to symbolize purity. (Photo by Sergey Dolzhenko/EPA/EFE)

A man dressed in Andean attire as “Ukukus” or “Pabluchas”, a traditional character that acts as a vigilante imposing social order, uses a whip as a threat to force people to maintain their distance and remind them to wear face masks and gloves as a preventive measure against the novel coronavirus COVID-19, in the Vinocanchon market area in San Jeronimo district, close to the Peruvian Andean city of Cusco, on May 2, 2020. The government has identified public markets as major hotspots of the new coronavirus in Peru, where 40,459 confirmed cases and 1,124 deaths were reported on May 1. (Photo by Jose Carlos Angulo/AFP Photo)

Fifty years ago, as France exploded in mass protests, words scrawled on the walls of the Sorbonne summed up the revolutionary zeal of the time: “Run free, comrade, we’ve left the old world behind!”. Sexual liberation, artistic creativity and anti-capitalism were the order of the day. For those who were there, it was an unforgettable time. Here: A wounded student is transported by first-aid workers during riots on the Boulevard Saint-Michel, Paris, France on May 6, 1968. (Photo by Gökşin Sipahioğlu/SIPA Press)

People try to board a goverment bus during the second day of a suspension of public transport services in Apopa, El Salvador July 28, 2015. Violent gangs in El Salvador ordered bus drivers to strike on Monday in a conflict that has killed six people and left thousands of commuters stranded on the streets of the Central American capital, police and bus company officials said. (Photo by Jose Cabezas/Reuters)

This series of pictures shot by satellite, show the man-made world as astronauts see it. Artist Benjamin Grant uses Google Earth to find the most compelling satellite images of human civilization. The stunning pictures of sprawling metropolises and vast reservoirs are sometimes unidentifiable until zoomed in. In order to find an extraordinary picture in the practically endless supply of satellite data, Benjamin focuses on the themes of current events or environmental issues. Here: Industrial Sector, Tokai, Japan. (Photo by Benjamin Grant/Digital Globe/Caters News)

If you love dirt bikes and live in England, then there is no doubt that you’ve heard about RHL Weston Beach Race that takes place in Weston-super-Mare in Somerset. In the beginning, this race was organized by a few avid bikers sponsored by local businessmen. However, after a while, this event has gained traction, and now as many as one hundred thousand people come to take part in this race. In order to accommodate all the contestants, a whole beach in converted into one gigantic race track. The noise created by such a mass of dirt bikes can be heard for miles; however, this is a small price to pay for all the fun the people are having.