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.

Planes land in fog at Heathrow Airport, west London, as heavy fog covers a many parts of the south east, on April 1, 2014. (Photo by Steve Parsons/PA Wire)

Twenty-one years after Kate Moss’s Calvin Klein debut, her little sister Lottie, 16, has made hers. Earlier this year, Lottie was signed to Moss’s agency, Storm Models. She then made her modelling debut in January, starring in her first fashion shoot for glossy magazine Dazed & Confused, followed by other appearances in Teen Vogue. Now, she’s back as the face and body of Calvin Klein Jeans x mytheresa.com The Re-Issue Project, an exclusive capsule collection of limited iconic denim pieces, which will only be sold on online retailer Mytheresa from 15 July. (Photo by Michael Avedon)

A large variety of weapons were for sale at the Washington County Fairgrounds Gun Show that drew thousands of people over the weekend, on March 22, 2013. (Photo by Gary Porter)

Aerial view of sunbeam shining through mountain cave at Yueyan National Forest Park on August 27, 2024 in Yongzhou, Hunan Province of China. (Photo by Jiang Keqing/VCG via Getty Images)

UK Love Island's star Megan Barton Hanson, 26, looked incredible as she stripped off for a very sеxy shoot to mark her return to Only Fans on March 20, 2020. Only Fans is a website where people can subscribe to see racy pictures and videos of both celebrities and wannabe models. It is a very popular way to make more cash because people can create content from their own homes and build up huge followings – all of whom have to pay. (Photo by Backgrid UK)

Revellers pose during the Street Parade dance music event in Zurich, Switzerland August 13, 2016. (Photo by Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters)

A boy runs past one of the exhibits during the Dinosaurs exhibition in Belgrade, Serbia, Thursday, August 21, 2014. “Dino Park” has opened at Belgrade's Kalemegdan Fortress. (Photo by Darko Vojinovic/AP Photo)