A vendor works on a Christmas star lantern, locally known as parol, at a street market in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines on November 29, 2023. (Photo by Eloisa Lopez/Reuters)

Dionte Gilbert (84) leaps across the finish line against Seth Hirschi, back, during the “T-Rex World Championship Races” at Emerald Downs, Sunday, August 20, 2023, in Auburn, Wash. (Photo by Lindsey Wasson/AP Photo)

Female Siberian tiger Dasha yawns in the new enclosure at the zoo in Duisburg, Germany, 30 March 2016. The new facility is three times larger than the old one and will be opened to the public on the same day. (Photo by Roland Weihrauch/EPA)

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 woman controls a ball on Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 14, 2016. As hundreds of thousands of tourists begin descending on Rio de Janeiro for the Olympics that start August 5, the headlines have focused on the street violence, the Zika virus, the water pollution and the rush to finish venues and transport. But Rio, known by Brazilians as the “Marvelous City”, glistens despite it all. The beach is a way of life here. (Photo by Nacho Doce/Reuters)

Nick Franklin, in action during the FMX competition at the 23rd edition of Free4Style this Saturday, July 2, 2016 in Estavayer-le-Lac,Switzerland. (Photo by Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone/APA)

A couple share a kiss at the “Purple Rain” installation at the Lycée Jacques-Decour on August 02, 2020 in Paris, France. Part of Festival Paris l'Eté, the installation by Pierre Ardouvin is a tribute to the song by Prince and allows visitors to role play while equipped with umbrellas and accompanied by the song. (Photo by Kiran Ridley/Getty Images)

Jil Belen Teichmann of Switzerland in action against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in her third round match on Day 6 at Roland Garros on May 27, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Dylan Martinez/Reuters)