Ukrainian platoon commander Mariia talks on the phone in a position in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, Saturday, July 2, 2022. Ukrainian soldiers returning from the frontlines in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region describe life during what has turned into a grueling war of attrition as apocalyptic. Mariia, 41, said that front-line conditions may vary depending on where a unit is positioned and how well supplied they are. (Photo by Efrem Lukatsky/AP Photo)

A man and a woman both wounded by what locals say was recent shelling by Ukrainian forces, react as they sit in an ambulance in Donetsk August 23, 2014. (Photo by Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)

Kazakh troops march during a parade of the armed forces to mark the Defender of the Fatherland Day in Astana, May 7, 2014. (Photo by Mukhtar Kholdorbekov/Reuters)

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.

In this January 31, 2014 file photo released by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), shows residents of the besieged Palestinian camp of Yarmouk, queuing to receive food supplies, in Damascus, Syria. That year, the U.N. was able to deliver food to about five percent of people in besieged areas including Yarmouk, while today estimates show the organization is reaching less than one percent. (Photo by UNRWA via AP Photo)

Brian Anderson has been taking images of Glasgow for 20 years, spotlighting both the light and dark side of life. Brian, 40, said: “Glasgow is full of character. It’s a nice city, it’s a crazy city and I want to show all that”. Photo: Police look on as a man tries to break up brawling women in Queen Street. (Photo by Brian Anderson)

This photo released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on June 7, 2012 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (C) surrounded by members of the Korean Children's Union (KCU) organizations during a joint national meeting to celebrate the 66th anniversary of the KCU organizations at Kim Il-Sung Stadium in Pyongyang on June 6, 2012. (Photo by AFP Photo/KCNA via KNS)

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.