A demonstrator confronts riot police during a rally in defense of the nationalization of lithium reserves in the country, in Santiago, Chile on January 29, 2018. (Photo by Pablo Sanhueza/Reuters)

General view of a clash after the match of the Egyptian Premier League between Pyramids FC and Zamalek at the 30 June Air Defense Stadium in Cairo, Egypt on April 23, 2019. (Photo by Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters)

As an airliner prepares to land, a bird takes off at the Gravelly Point park near Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Va. on December 23, 2018. (Photo by Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post)

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.

Artist Leiomy performs at the Sissy Ball in Sydney, Australia on February 24, 2018. The Sissy Ball is a celebration of voguing – a style of modern dance, a form of self-expression, and a powerful movement that has become a representation for the sociopolitical struggles of the LGBTQI+ community. (Photo by Ken Leanfore/Red Bull Music)

A pro-abortion activist with a Venus symbol painted on her face listens to a speech outside of Congress after the presentation of an abortion bill in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, March 6, 2018. Under heavy pressure by women's groups that have taken to the streets in large numbers in recent years, over 70 legislators presented an abortion bill that will be first be discussed in several committees of the lower chamber. (Photo by Victor R. Caivano/AP Photo)

A man carries his daughter, dressed as Kumari, on a scooter, as they arrive to attend rituals to celebrate the Navratri Festival, on a road outside the Adyapeath Temple, on the outskirts of Kolkata, India on March 25, 2018. (Photo by Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters)

Tattoo artists work on clients during the second International Tattoo Festival in Sochi, Russia, April 23, 2016. (Photo by Kazbek Basayev/Reuters)