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.

Chacha, the male chimp, screams at a worker in Sendai, northern Japan, Thursday, April 14, 2016 after fleeing from a zoo. The chimpangzee tried desperately to avoid being captured by climbing an electric pole. Chacha was on the loose nearly two hours Thursday after it disappeared from the Yagiyama Zoological Park in Sendai, the city that's hosting finance ministers from the Group of Seven industrialized nations in May. (Photo by Kyodo News via AP Photo)

An ice swimming enthusiast dressed as Neptune takes to the frigid waters of Orankesee lake during the 27th annual "Winter Swimming in Berlin" on January 8, 2011 in Berlin, Germany. A local swimmers' group called the “Berlin Seals” invite ice swimmers from across Germany and abroad to the annual event. Members claim ice swimming is good for the body's blood circulation. (Photo by Sean Gallup)

A woman holds up what the Chris Steaks & Burgers restaurant says is Thailand's biggest burger weighing more than 6 kilograms, before a competition held to eat it at the restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand, October 11, 2019. Chris Steaks and Burgers is offering a 10,000 baht ($330) prize for anyone who can finish the mammoth snack in nine minutes – one baht for every calorie. (Photo by Jiraporn Kuhakan/Reuters)

A man dressed in Christmas garb smokes a hand-rolled cigarette, Thursday, December 24, 2020, in Times Square on Christmas Eve in New York. (Photo by Kathy Willens/AP Photo)

A protester shouts anti-American slogans while holding a tire to be added to a burning barricade during a protest against the government's request for an international military force, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, October 21, 2022. (Photo by Joseph Odelyn/AP Photo)

Zulu maidens sings and dance as they arrive for the coronation event, at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, South Africa, Saturday, October 29, 2022. South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa on behalf of the government formally presented a certificate of recognition to His Majesty King MisuZulu ka Zwelithini of the AmaZulu. (Photo by Themba Hadebe/AP Photo)

A pilgrim enters the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe on their hands and knees to honour the Virgin Mary in Mexico City, Mexico on December 11, 2022. (Photo by Jorge Nunez/Zuma Press Wire/Rex Features/Shutterstock)