Aerial view of pond cypress at Qinglongwan Forest Park near Ningguo, China on November 26, 2017. (Photo by Imaginechina/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

A fan gestures next to a police officer while celebrating the life of British singer Keith Flint of techno group “The Prodigy” after his funeral in Braintree, Essex, Britain, March 29, 2019. (Photo by Henry Nicholls/Reuters)

Bangladeshi pedestrian cross a broken baily brideg on July 7, 2019 in Sylhet. Heavy vehicle movement was restricted in this bridge but when a cement bag loaded truck got into the bridge, Suddenly, it collapse. (Photo by AFP Photo/Stringer)

American actress, model, singer and activist Paris Jackson attends Comic-Con in San Diego, California, USA on July 21, 2018. (Photo by @parisjackson/Instagram)

Michelle Rodriguez attends the European Premiere of “Widows” and opening night gala of the 62nd BFI London Film Festival on October 10, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by James Gourley/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Young “scissors” dancers pose after performing in a national scissors dance competition at Lima's Exposition Park, May 18, 2014. The Danza de las tijeras, or scissors dance, is a traditional dance from the Peruvian southern region of the Andes, in which two or more performers take turns dancing while accompanied with music from a harp and a violin. Dancers would display various skills and moves, which include cutting the air with the use of a scissors. (Photo by Enrique Castro-Mendivil/Reuters)

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.

Only the most intrepid urban explorers cross the tattered ruins of the old Iron Curtain to endure the excessive bureaucracy, military paranoia and freezing winds of the East to hunt for the ghosts of an empire. Rebecca Litchfield is one who couldn’t resist the haunting allure of the ruins of the Soviet Union.