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.

Elvis Presley impersonator Michael Conti sings as he officiates a wedding for Phoebe Kim and Colton Sorensen of California as they dance at the Little White Wedding Chapel on December 31, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. In what could be a record-breaking date for weddings in the city, thousands of couples are expected to get married on the specialty date with the repeating 1-2-3 1-2-3 pattern that also coincides with the New Year's Eve holiday and a weekend. The most popular date for Las Vegas weddings was in 2007, when 4,492 couples exchanged vows on July 7, or 7/7/07. Since 1953, more than five million weddings have been held in the city, when the Daily Herald in London published an article referring to Las Vegas as the “Wedding Capital of the World”. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Breitling Wingwalker Freya Paterson, from Liverpool, UK, flies above Kuwait City's iconic Water Towers with pilots David Barrell and Martyn Carrington, on March 6, 2014. The team loop and roll up to 160 mph enduring G-forces of 4-5g. Crowds are expected to line the Kuwaiti coastline to catch a glimpse of the Wingwalking team on Saturday, March 8, 2014, to mark the opening of the first dedicated boutique in the city for the prestigious watch brand. (Photo by Katsuhiko Tokunaga/Breitling)

Heidi Klum, dressed as a werewolf, performs a dance from Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video her 18th Annual Halloween Party at Moxy Times Square on Tuesday, October 31, 2017, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Photo)

Gremio fans celebrate after their team won the Copa Libertadores final match at the Arena do Gremio in Porto Alegre, Brazil on November 29, 2017. (Photo by Diego Vara/Reuters)