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.

“Guido Daniele has worked as a hyper-realistic illustrator, co-operating with editing and advertising companies, innovating with airbrush and testing out various painting techniques. In 1990, he developed a body painting technique, and his work has been used in advertising images and commercials, as well as fashion events and exhibitions”. – Wikipedia. Photo: A model poses with her arm after it was painted by body artist Guido Daniele

A cat sits in the flooding waters from Hurricane Matthew in downtown Nichols, South Carolina, October 10, 2016. (Photo by Randall Hill/Reuters)

Arctic treasure by Sergey Gorshkov (Russia). An arctic fox carries its egg trophy from a raid on a snow goose nest and heads for a suitable burial spot. Finalist 2017, Animal Portraits. (Photo by Sergey Gorshkov/2017 Wildlife Photographer of the Year)

Though schools around the globe have different start dates, calendars and traditions, the first day of a new term is an exciting time filled with the prospects of gaining more knowledge, making new friends and building community. Here: Schoolchildren attend their first lesson on Knowledge Day in the town of Turov, Zhytkavichy District, Gomel Region, Belarus on September 1, 2017. Knowledge Day marks the beginning of a new school year in Belarus and is celebrated on September 1. (Photo by Viktor Drachev/TASS via Getty Images)

In this August 21, 2017 photo released by the U.S. Defense Department, Qatari special operations personnel conduct a military free-fall Friendship Jump over Qatar. The U.S. military has halted some exercises with its Gulf Arab allies over the ongoing diplomatic crisis targeting Qatar, trying to use its influence to end the monthslong dispute, authorities told The Associated Press on Friday, October 6, 2017. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Trevor T. McBride/ U.S. Air Force via AP Photo)

A woman wearing a scarf to cover her face looks on as she waits for a passenger bus on a smoggy morning in New Delhi, India, November 8, 2017. The Great Smog of Delhi is an ongoing severe air-pollution event in New Delhi and adjoining areas in the National Capital Territory of India, in November 2017. Air pollution at this time peaked on both PM 2.5 and PM 10 levels. It has been reported as one of the worst levels of air quality in Delhi since 1999. (Photo by Saumya Khandelwal/Reuters)

Eddie Ladd and Gwyn Emberton perform as Dylan and Caitlin Thomas in “Caitlin” at the Lauriston Hall, Edinburgh, Scotland on August 25 2017. (Photo by Mary Turner/Reuters)