In this image released on November 22, English singer and songwriter Dua Lipa poses for the 2020 American Music Awards, broadcast on November 22, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for dcp)

People rollerblade along the beach a day before renewed restrictions due to a surge of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in Los Angeles, California, U.S. November 29, 2020. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Reuters)

Fallen leaves cover the undergrowth as a commuter on a bicycle makes her way through the Tiergarten park in central Berlin on December 7, 2020. (Photo by Odd Andersen/AFP Photo)

A woman cools off after taking a traditional steam bath (banya) at Sergei Benke's homestead in the village of Bobrovka, Tarsky District in Omsk Region, Russia on December 11, 2020. (Photo by Sergei Malgavko/TASS)

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.

An Indian Sikh devotee spits fire as he performs during religious procession ahead of the birth anniversary of the first Sikh Guru or master, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism, in Jammu, the winter capital of Kashmir, India, 21 November 2018. The birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji will be observed on 23 November 2018. (Photo by Jaipal Singh/EPA/EFE)

A swarm of starlings flies over the Altare della Patria monument (Unknown soldier) in the city centre of Rome during sunset, on November 27, 2018. (Photo by Vincenzo Pinto/AFP Photo)

The town hall with the Mangia tower is seen in Siena, central Italy, January 29, 2016. (Photo by Max Rossi/Reuters)