An Afghan woman carries bread on a tray, along a street in Kabul on January 3, 2023. (Photo by Wakil Kohsar/AFP Photo)

The new Lamborghini Centenario car is pictured at the 86th International Motor Show in Geneva, Switzerland, March 1, 2016. The Motor Show will open its gates to the public from March 3 to 13, presenting more than 200 exhibitors and more than 120 world and European premieres. ( (Photo by Denis Balibouse/Reuters)

Police officers stand near a fishing boat, the Carolina Queen III, as it rests in shallow water just off Rockaway Beach, Thursday, February 25, 2016, in the Queens borough of New York. Authorities say a Coast Guard vessel overturned while assisting the fishing boat that ran aground in an inlet off New York City. (Photo by Frank Franklin II/AP Photo)

Joanne Froggatt poses with her award for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Mini-Series or TV Movie for her role in “Downton Abbey” backstage at the 72nd Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California January 11, 2015. (Photo by Mike Blake/Reuters)

English model Katie Price pictured going topless while on holiday with boyfriend Kris Boyson at Ammatara Pura Pool Villas resort in Thailand on July 13, 2018. The happy couple looked relaxed in matching yellow Bikini and shorts as they frolicked with each other by the pool as they enjoyed their first holiday together at exclusive resort in Thailand. (Photo by Backgrid UK)

North Koreans perform during the “Arirang” Mass Games at the May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, as part of celebrations ahead of the 60th anniversary marking the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, in this photo taken by Kyodo July 22, 2013. (Photo by KYODO)

Isabeau Levito of the United States reacts after skating in the women's free program during the International Skating Union (ISU) World Figure Skating Championships in Montreal, Canada, on March 22, 2024. (Photo by Geoff Robins/AFP Photo)

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.