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 photo provided by Mickey Nuttall, members of an international team of skydivers join hands, flying head-down to build their world record skydiving formation, Friday, July 31, 2015, over Ottawa, Ill. (Photo by Jason Peters via AP Photo)

A man set wood on fire to prepare for worshippers to walk barefoot over burning coals during the Nine Emperor Gods festival at a temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday, October 7, 2024. (Photo by Vincent Thian/AP Photo)

Zhang Jinduo's wife tries on a self-made racing car on the outskirts of Shenyang, Liaoning province May 10, 2008. Zhang, the 53-year-old local farmer made the racing car with the help of his son who is a car mechanic. The car is equipped with a rear-mounted motorcycle engine and can achieve 60-80 km per hour, according to local media. (Photo by Reuters/Stringer)

A jogger runs along Bregagh Road at Dark Hedges, Armoy, Northern Ireland, Wednesday, February 10, 2016. Road markings have been painted by mistake on the world famous road that features the Dark Hedges tree lined road which was made famous by the Game of Thrones and is now a massive tourist attraction. (Photo by Peter Morrison/AP Photo)

A BASE jumper is pictured against the skyline shrouded in a thick haze during the Kuala Lumpur Tower International Jump in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 02 October 2015. More than 100 BASE jumpers take part in this extreme sport event, which enters its 15th year. The haze hovering over Malaysia is caused by the ongoing plantation and forest fires in the nearby Indonesian provinces of Sumatra and Kalimantan. (Photo by Fazry Ismail/EPA)

Revellers in fancy dress enjoy the atmosphere during the British Fancy Dress Day on November 12, 2015 in Benidorm, Spain. The British Fancy Dress Day is one of the biggest fancy dress parties in Europe and is held the day after the Benidorm fiestas in November. The tradition started over 20 years ago when Manolo from Sinatras Club offered a free drink to anyone who dress up. Nowadays around 30,000 people, mostly British Expats living in Spain and tourists visiting the Costa Blanca resorts, attends, attend the event. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)