A drone photo shows that people enjoy at the Lake Urmia, one of the biggest saltwater lakes in the world located in the northwest of Iran, as recovering works continue due to drought affecting the whole country and putting the lake in danger of drying up again in Urmia, Iran on July 06, 2021. (Photo by Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

A woman takes part in a protest at Parliament Square, following the kidnap and murder of Sarah Everard, in London, Britain March 15, 2021. Everard, 33, was abducted as she walked home in south London on March 3 and a police officer has been charged with her kidnap and murder, provoking a national debate over how British society deals with male violence against women. (Photo by Henry Nicholls/Reuters)

Dancers prepare before a performance in the backstage area of the Buick exhibition during the “Auto China 2014” Beijing International Automotive Exhibition in Beijing on April 21, 2014. Leading automakers have gathered in Beijing for the kickoff of China's biggest car show, but lackluster growth and environmental restrictions in the world's largest car market have thrown uncertainty into the mix. (Photo by AFP Photo)

Polling station officials dressed as traditional Balinese performers vote in Badung regency on the Indonesian island of Bali December 9, 2015 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Around 100 million Indonesians were expected to go to the polls on Wednesday in many parts of the country to elect heads of local government. (Photo by Wira Suryantala/Reuters/Antara Foto)

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.

A man falls from an ox cart as he competes during an ox cart competition near U Bein bridge, in Mandalay March 22, 2015. (Photo by Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters)

An Iraqi man comforts his 4-year-old son at a regroupment center for POWs of the 101st Airborne Division near An Najaf, Iraq, March 31, 2003. The man was seized in An Najaf with his son and the U.S. military did not want to separate them. (Photo by Jean-Marc Bouju/Associated Press)

Protestor Bill Maloney (L) shouts during a live TV broadcast by BBC News Channel chief political correspondent Norman Smith after earlier forcing Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg to abandon a photocall near Parliament on March 19, 2014 in London, England. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne has delivered his Budget statement to Members of Parliament in the House of Commons. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)