The Flying Bull's P-38 Lockheed Lightning N25Y / 13 – Red Bull – Flying Legends Airshow 2012 Duxford (Photo by Rob Lovesey)

Transgender Kendra Ferrari, 21, performs during Miss Night Queen beauty contest in Guatemala City, Friday, June 15, 2012. Ferrari won the pageant and will represent the transgender community for one year. (Photo by Rodrigo Abd/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.

Sumo wrestlers compete during the annual “Honozumo” ceremonial sumo tournament dedicated to the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, Japan, April 18, 2016. (Photo by Yuya Shino/Reuters)

This image released by Neon shows Matthew McConaughey in a scene from “The Beach Bum”. (Photo by Atsushi Nishijima/Neon via AP Photo)

Two men fight in San Jose, Costa Rica, during the Women's Day on March 8, 2014. (Photo by Jeffrey Arguedas/EFE/SIPA Press)

People participate in a winter fishing event in Changchun, Jilin province, China, December 25, 2016. Picture taken December 25, 2016. (Photo by Reuters/Stringer)

Salcomp players huddle at the center of the pitch of Arena da Amazonia after winning the Peladao amateur soccer tournament in Manaus, Brazil, Saturday, February 16, 2019. It is the team's second title, the first was in 2011. (Photo by Victor R. Caivano/AP Photo)