A commuter gestures to Boris Johnson as he rides across Vauxhall Bridge in London, England on November 19, 2015. The London mayor was opening a cycle superhighway. (Photo by John Stillwell/PA Wire)

Dressed a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer, Stephane Delage carries a Canadian flag while on stilts as he entertains the crowd during Canada Day festivities in Vancouver, B.C., on Monday, July 1, 2013. (Photo by Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)

Animal rights activists from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) stage a “die-in” to mark World Vegan Day in Piccadilly Circus in London, Monday, November 1, 2021. The demonstration sought to draw attention to the suffering and death of animals in the meat, egg and dairy industries. (Photo by David Cliff/AP Photo)

A couple embrace in silhouette at Craigyhill loyalist bonfire in Larne, Co Antrim on Monday July 11, 2022, on the “Eleventh night” to usher in the Twelfth commemorations. (Photo by Liam McBurney/PA Images via Getty Images)

A store mannequin with a protective mask stands before a clothes store as they open for the first time since March during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on April 22, 2020 in Berlin, Germany. Small to midsized-shops are opening across Germany this week as state authorities follow a recommendation by the federal government to ease restrictions imposed in March meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Some schools are also planning to reopen soon, as are museums and hair salons in coming weeks. (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

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.

A lion rests in the Nairobi National Park, Kenya on January 6, 2021. (Photo by Tiksa Negeri/Reuters)

A baby baboon appears to ride its mother like a horse at the Chobe River, in The Chobe National Park, Botswana, Southern Africa in January 2023. Young monkeys often ride on their parent's backs, like this Chacma baboon, for protection. (Photo by William Steel/Solent News & Photo Agency)