Wrestler Kairi Hojo jumps at her opponent Mieko satomura during their Stardom female professional wrestling show at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan, July 26, 2015. Professional women's wrestling in Japan means body slams, sweat, and garish costumes. But Japanese rules on hierarchy also come into play, with a culture of deference to veteran fighters. The brutal reality of the ring is masked by a strong fantasy element that feeds its popularity with fans, most of them men. (Photo by Thomas Peter/Reuters)

Girls of University of Cincinnati Stage Grecian Games on April 29, 1921. Garbed in costumes of ancient Greece, fair students of the University of Cincinnati, Ohio arranged a set of Grecian Games for the benefit of the University athletic fund. All of the girl students of the University, who take a great interest in outdoor games and athletics, took part in the games. The fund was greatly increased through the staging of the unique attraction and the girls purpose to give a return engagement. The accompanying photographs show the girl contestants in their Grecian costumes. Photo shows the start of the 100 yard dash. (Photo by Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)

Pistachio, a puppy who was born with green fur, is seen on the day he was born on a farm on the island of Sardinia, in Pattada, Italy, October 9, 2020. (Photo by Cristian Mallocci/Handout via Reuters)

A Sphynx cat stares sitting on its owner's lap during an international feline beauty competition in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, April 14, 2018. More than 250 cats take part in the two-day competition in the Romanian capital. (Photo by Vadim Ghirda/AP Photo)

A girl carries her sibling as she walks through stranded flood water, following rains and floods during the monsoon season in Nowshera, Pakistan on September 4, 2022. (Photo by Fayaz Aziz/Reuters)

Relatives perform the last rites before the cremation of their loved one who died due to the Covid-19 coronavirus at a cremation ground in Allahabad on May 4, 2021. (Photo by Sanjay Kanojia/AFP Photo)

A specialist from a local veterinary service wears a protective suit as sprays disinfectant near Russian tanks displayed at area near Proryv (The Breakthrough) museum dedicated to the breakthrough of the Siege of Leningrad during World WarII near Kirovsk, about 30 kilometres (19 miles) east of St.Petersburg, Russia, Thursday, April 2, 2020. (Photo by Dmitri Lovetsky/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.