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.

The original costumes for Star Wars character Darth Vader stand on display at “Star Wars: The Exhibition” at County hall on May 04, 2007 in London, England. (Photo by MJ Kim/Getty Images)

A North Korean war veteran is decorated with medals as he attends a parade to celebrate the anniversary of the Korean War armistice agreement, Sunday, July 27, 2014 in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Koreans gathered at Kim Il Sung Square as part of celebrations for the 61st anniversary of the armistice that ended the Korean War. (Photo by Wong Maye-E/AP Photo)

A man stands next to a horsecart laden with oil drums on a street in Lahore on September 27, 2020. (Photo by Arif Ali/AFP Photo)

A vendor decorates a sacrificial camel ahead of the Eid al-Adha festival, in Karachi, Pakistan, 23 August 2016. Eid al-Adha is the holiest of the two Muslims holidays celebrated each year, with this year will be celebrated on 02nd September. Eid al-Adha marks the yearly Muslim pilgrimage (Hajj) to visit Mecca, the holiest place in Islam. Muslims slaughter a sacrificial animal and split the meat into three parts, one for the family, one for friends and relatives, and one for the poor and needy. (Photo by Rehan Khan/EPA)

A Pakistani vendor prepares peanuts for sale on a roadside in Peshawar, Pakistan, 01 January 2018. After a good raining season the sales of dry fruits flourish in the country. Tourists from all over Pakistan come to Peshawar to purchase dry fruits along with other items because of price differences between different parts of the country. (Photo by Bilawal Arbab/EPA/EFE)

A Muslim dervish sings a traditional Sufi song near a rally for the Mawlid al-Nabi holiday, marking the birthday of Islam's prophet, Muhammad, in Lahore, Pakistan, Sunday, November 10, 2019. To mark the holiday, thousands take part in religious processions, ceremonies and distribute free meals to the poor. (Photo by K.M. Chaudary/AP Photo)

Mohammad Ramzan, 60, a traditional goatskin water carrier also known as a mashki, fills a bag with water from a handpump to deliver to nearby homes during the fasting month of Ramadan, as the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in Karachi, Pakistan on April 23, 2021. (Photo by Akhtar Soomro/Reuters)