Charlotte Roirdan, from Lyon and Turnbull, poses near portrait of a woman wearing a bikini made entirely out of postcards of the Queen on April 20, 2012 in Edinburgh, Scotland. The portrait Girl in a Yellow Bikini by David Mach, is estimated to raise between £4000 to £6000 at their Scottish Contemporary Sale to be held on April 25. (Photo by Jeff J. Mitchell)

Twenty five life-size donkeys have been given pride of place in St Paul's Cathedral as part of an interfaith exhibition. They've been painted by Egyptian and Western artists, to show solidarity for the people of Egypt. Photo: Artist painted donkey statues are displayed in the “Caravan” exhibition on August 30, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid)

Painted by Kyle Lambert. The world's most realistic finger painting. Using only a finger, an iPad Air and the app Procreate, artist Kyle Lambert has painted a photorealistic portrait of actor Morgan Freeman.

A Yorkshire Terrier has it's hair done on a grooming table on Day one of Crufts at the Birmingham NEC Arena on March 8, 2012 in Birmingham, England. During the annual four-day competition nearly 22,000 dogs and their owners will compete in a variety of categories, ultimately seeking the coveted prize of “Best In Show”. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Disabled dogs outfitted with wheelchairs walk at an animal rescue center on July 12, 2008 in Chengdu of Sichuan Province, China. The center has adopted over 100 stray dogs and cats from quake-struck areas. Those who were hurt or disabled are outfitted with a cart to help support they're body and make them mobile. (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images)

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.

Paisley, a standard poodle, is pictured at Intergroom in N.J., March 2014. Intergroom is one of the largest cats and dogs grooming conferences in America. (Photo by Paul Nathan/Rex Features)