Artillerymen of the Ukrainian 80th separate airborne assault brigade fire from a BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher towards Russian positions on the front line near Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, on April 18, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Anatolii Stepanov/AFP 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.

Andrey Rublev shouts at line judge while playing against Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan in their semifinal match during the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium on March 01, 2024 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Christopher Pike/Getty Images)

A serviceman of the 148th Separate Artillery Zhytomyr Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine sits near shells as he and a soldier await command to fire a M777 Howitzer towards Russian troops at a position in a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine, on February 8, 2025. (Photo by Anatolii Stepanov/Reuters)

Carol Sofia Sanchez strikes a pose in her Shakira-inspired costume as she waits in line for the doors to open at Metropolitano Stadium, where pop star Shakira will perform in her hometown of Barranquilla in Colombia, Thursday, February 20, 2025. (Photo by Fernando Vergara/AP Photo)

Bronze medallist Norway's Line Flem Hoest jumps into the water as she celebrates at the end of the women's ILCA 6 single-handed dinghy medal race during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games sailing competition at the Roucas-Blanc Marina in Marseille on August 7, 2024. (Photo by Lisi Niesner/Reuters)

Female dancers line up before they perform during the opening of Bali Arts Festival in Bali, Indonesia, Sunday, June 18, 2023. The island of Bali is currently holding a month-long annual Bali Arts Festival from June 18 until July 16. (Photo by Firdia Lisnawati/AP Photo)

Volodymyr, a service member of the Ukrainian armed forces, plays with puppies at fighting positions on the line of separation from pro-Russian rebels in Donetsk region, Ukraine on April 10, 2021. The two unnamed puppies living on frontline positions will be taken home and named by soldiers departing on troops rotation. (Photo by Oleksandr Klymenko/Reuters)