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 burning train wagon is seen after an explosion at Lac Megantic, Quebec, July 6, 2013. A large swath of Lac Megantic was destroyed Saturday after a train carrying crude oil derailed, sparking several explosions and forcing the evacuation of up to 1,000 people. (Photo by Mathieu Belanger/Reuters)

A picture made available on 08 July 2015 showsa lightning strikes during a heavy storm over Poznan in the night of 07 July 2015. Severe storms passed last night over Poland causing lots of damages to buildings, trees, electricity and railway tractions. (Photo by Lukasz Ogrodowczyk/EPA)

A girl uses her mobile phone during the evening at the National Park in Khartoum, Sudan, April 24, 2015. (Photo by Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/Reuters)

A reveler jumps over a bonfire during the night of San Juan in Alcobendas near Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, June 24, 2015. The San Juan night coincides with the Summer solstice and it's the welcome to Summer. This celebration takes place during the shortest night of the year in almost all cities and towns of Spain. (Photo by Andres Kudacki/AP Photo)

A hummingbird feeds on the nectar from a Mimosa tree in Saugus, Massachusetts on July 30, 2020. (Photo by Joseph Prezioso/ZUMA Wire/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Reflected in the rearview mirror, Jose Collantes gets a hug from daughter Kehity while they're stopped at a red light, as Jose drives his five-year-old home from a playdate in Santiago, Chile, Sunday, September 6, 2020, three months after they lost his wife, her mother, to COVID-19. Their case highlights how COVID-19 deaths the world over are often the beginning of a new personal journey for those affected. (Photo by Esteban Felix/AP Photo)

A man runs on a small road in the outskirts of Frankfurt, Germany, before sunrise on Tuesday, September 1, 2020. (Photo by Michael Probst/AP Photo)