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.

“Tardigrades (commonly known as waterbears or moss piglets) are small, water-dwelling, segmented animals with eight legs. Tardigrades were first discovered in 1773 by Johann August Ephraim Goeze, who called them kleiner Wasserbär, meaning “little water bear” in German. The name Tardigrada means “slow walker” and was given by Lazzaro Spallanzani in 1777. The name water bear comes from the way they walk, reminiscent of a bear's gait. The biggest adults may reach a body length of 1.5 millimetres (0.059 in), the smallest below 0.1 mm. Freshly hatched tardigrades may be smaller than 0.05 mm”. – Wikipedia. Photo: Tardigrades. (Photo by SPL/East News)

Kendall Jenner attends the screening of “Girls Of The Sun (Les Filles Du Soleil)” during the 71st annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 12, 2018 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Stephane Cardinale/Corbis via Getty Images)

Model Winnie Harlow wears a creation as part of the John Richmond men's Fall-Winter 2019-20 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy, Sunday, January 13, 2019. (Photo by Antonio Calanni/AP Photo)

Model Kendall Jenner is seen in SoHo on July 31, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Splash News and Pictures)

British fashion designer Kimberley Garner arrives for the screening of the film “France” at the 74th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on July 15, 2021. (Photo by Johanna Geron/Reuters)

British-American actress and model Lily Collins (R) celebrates wrapping up the latest season of “Emily in Paris” in the last decade of September 2022. (Photo by lilyjcollins/Instagram)

Content creator & Founder of Shop ARL, Amanda Rach Lee hosted the brand’s first New York City Pop-Up At Shopify NY in the last decade of January 2025. (Photo by Steve Alicea)