Artwork by Ruth Bellotti & Steve Rosewell called “Soldier Scale 1:1” is seen at the 2008 Sculpture by the Sea launch at Mark's Park, Bondi on October 15, 2008 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Gaye Gerard/Getty Images)

A man helps a woman through a flooded neighbourhood in the aftermath of Cyclone Kenneth, in Pemba, Mozambique, April 28, 2019. (Photo by Mike Hutchings/Reuters)

Multicolored nets are set under olive trees to collect the olives on November 27, 2013 in Castagniers, southeastern France. (Photo by Valery Hache/AFP Photo)

A man holds a child after rescuing him from a kindergarten affected by a fire at a commercial building, in Ningde, Fujian province, China, September 16, 2015. According to local media, more than 260 people were evacuated due to the fire, which broke out Wednesday morning. No causalities have been reported and the cause of it is still unknown. (Photo by Reuters/China Daily)

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 girl watches as a man jumps to cool off at a swimming pool in the village of Zllakuqan near the town of Klina on July 9, 2024. (Photo by Armend Nimani/AFP Photo)

Women stand on a street ahead of the Lunar New Year celebration at the Chinatown in Bangkok, Thailand, February 10, 2021. (Photo by Chalinee Thirasupa/Reuters)

English-Albanian singer and songwriter Dua Lipa in the new advertising campaign for “Pepe Jeans” Autumn/Winter 19 on September 5, 2019. (Photo by Planet Photos)