A local man looks at a church on top of the Katskhi Pillar, rock mass about 40 meters high, in the village of Katskhi, Georgia, November 27, 2015. The church, built in the ninth century, was later abandoned and it collapsed but was rebuilt in 2003, according to local media. (Photo by David Mdzinarishvili/Reuters)

Shane Baker of Minnesota poses for a photo with adult film actress Rachel Starr at the Pornhub booth at the 2017 AVN Adult Entertainment Expo at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on January 18, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

A woman takes a photo of a mural by Berlin-based street artist Eme Freethinker featuring the likeness of US actor Will Smith (R) slapping US comedian Chris Rock during the Oscars ceremony, in Berlin on March 30, 2022. (Photo by John MacDougall/AFP Photo)

People run for cover following a series of explosions in the Embakasi area of Nairobi on February 2, 2024. At least 30 people have been transferred to different hospitals, according to the Kenya Red Cross, after explosions rocked an industrial and residential area of the Kenyan capital. (Photo by Luis Tato/AFP Photo)

Residents observe a police officer take up position during an operation at the Mare slums complex in Rio de Janeiro March 25, 2014. The federal troops have taken control of security operations in Mare slums complex to help quell a surge in violent crime following attacks by drug traffickers on police posts in three slums on the north side of the city, government officials said. (Photo by Ricardo Moraes/Reuters)

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.

The camera rolls as actors dressed as historical Chinese soldiers act as though they have been hit by artillery, during filming of “The Last Prince” television series on location near Hengdian World Studios near Hengdian July 24, 2015. Hundreds of well-trained actors and other professionals are available at the Hengdian World Studios. The well-organised team coordinate complicated battle scenes to satisfy the huge appetite for productions about the war against Japan. (Photo by Damir Sagolj/Reuters)

People wear face masks while participating in the annual Memorial Day Parade on May 25, 2020 in the Staten Island borough of New York City. Dozens of cars and nearly 100 members of the patriotic motorcycle group Rolling Thunder joined the event. This year’s parade was diminished in size and in person-to-person contact due to the coronavirus outbreak. Across the country, events honoring the nation’s veterans have been cancelled or scaled back as America continues to experience high numbers of deaths and new cases of COVID-19. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)