People on inflatable boats enjoy the weather on the Lake Lucerne in Sisikon, Switzerland, August 5, 2018. (Photo by Denis Balibouse/Reuters)

Children play at a beach in Lhoknga, Indonesia's Aceh province, on June 2, 2023. (Photo by Chaideer Mahyuddin/AFP Photo)

Filipino students performs during the parade at the 125th Philippine’s Independence Day at Dubai World Trade Centre on June 10, 2023. (Photo by Leslie Pableo for The National)

An aerial view of people visiting the roaring Hukou Waterfall on the Yellow River on August 11, 2025 in Yan'an, Shaanxi Province of China. Hukou waterfall is witnessing an increasing water flow lately. (Photo by Liu Yijiang/VCG via Getty Images)

A girl carries breads on her head as she walks in the snow, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, February 8, 2022. (Photo by Hussein Malla/AP 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.

Young women dance a group dance at the Palace Square in St.Petersburg, Russia, Thursday, September 24, 2020. (Photo by Dmitri Lovetsky/AP Photo)

Naked cyclists wearing masks, ride through the streets of Mexico City during the World Naked Bike Ride day, Saturday, June 11, 2022. (Photo by Eduardo Verdugo/AP Photo)