People throw turnips at the Jarramplas as he comes out from the church beating his drum during the Jarramplas Festival on January 20, 2016 in Piornal, Caceres province, Spain. The centuries old Jarramplas festival takes place annually every January 19-20 on Saint Sebastian Day and this year they expect to use more than 20 thousand kilogrames of turnips. Even though the exact origins of the festival are not known, various theories exist including the mythological punishment of Caco by Hercules, a relation to ceremonies celebrated by the American Indians that were seen by the first conquerors, to a cattle thief ridiculed and expelled by his village neighbours. It is generally believed to symbolize the expulsion of everything bad. (Photo by Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images)

A cat looks on near the Victory Pillar at the ruins of the Serapeum of Alexandria, an ancient Greek temple dating to the Ptolemaic and Roman periods (246 BC – 391 AD) dedicated to the city's protector deity Serapis, in Egypt's northern coastal city of Alexandria on November 24, 2023. The giant Corinthian column, commonly misidentified as “Pompey's Pillar”, is a Roman triumphal column set up in honour of the Roman emperor Diocletian (298–302 AD), and originally supported a colossal porphyry statue of the emperor in armour. (Photo by Amir Makar/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.

Casket of Leibby Kletzky, a murdered eight-year-old boy who went missing from the Hasidic neighborhood of Borough Park, Brooklyn is carried during a procession on July 13, 2011 in New York City. After a two day search Kletzky's dismembered body was found partially in a suitcase inside a dumpster and partially in a refrigerator in a nearby apartment. Police detectives have taken Levi Aron, 35, into custody in connection to the killing. (Photo by Ramin Talaie/Getty Images)

This 1931 Stutz DV-32 convertible sedan has 66,000 miles on its odometer and its original leather luggage awaits its first complete restoration Tuesday, March 5, 2013 at L'Cars Automotive Specialties in Cameron, Wis. The company which does high-end restoration and customization work classic cars that have won awards at the world-renowned Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Winning cars include a 57c Bugatti, Rolls Royce PIII V12, V12 Aero coupe, T44 Bugatti, T55 Bugatti, T38A Bugatti, Mercedes Benz 290 Roadster, Rolls Royce Silver Ghost, T57 Bugatti, 1929 Duesenberg J, Mercedes Benz 540K cabriolet, Talbot Teardrop and a 1931 V16 Cadillac convertible. (Photo by Mark Hoffman)

Life in lockdown: Schoolteacher Marzio Toniolo, 35, takes a picture of his two-year-old daughter Bianca painting his toenails as they while away time at home in San Fiorano, one of the original “red zone” towns in northern Italy that has now been extended to the whole country, as his wife, Bianca's mum Chiara Zuddas looks out from their balcony, March 20, 2020. Toniolo has been documenting how his family has dealt with being under quarantine since it began for them in February. (Photo by Marzio Toniolo via Reuters)

Competitors practice their moves before taking part in the UK Hobby Horse championship at Bury Farm Equestrian Centre on September 08, 2024 in Slapton, United Kingdom. While hobby horsing as a form of play has been around for centuries, the modern-day interpretation of the sport originated in Finland.(Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)