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 dressing the traditional clothes of a “cholita”, skates during a skate festival on September 30, 2020 in La Paz, Bolivia. According to the Johns Hopkins University Resource Center, Bolivia has over 130,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and more than 7,500 deceases. (Photo by Gaston Brito/Getty Images)

A Palestinian clown on stilts walks on a street amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Gaza City on November 20, 2020. (Photo by Suhaib Salem/Reuters)

Miss USA Alyssa Campanella arrives at the 2nd Annual American Giving Awards at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on December 7, 2012 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/WireImage)

A passenger aircraft passes over a residential house as it prepares to land at London Heathrow Airport in west London on October 17, 2016. Britain's government is considering whether to approve a third runway at Heathrow or expand air capacity in southeast England at another airport such as London Gatwick. (Photo by Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP Photo)

Residents of the Brussels suburb of Molenbeek are searched by police before taking part in a memorial gathering to honour the victims of the recent deadly Paris attacks, in Brussels, Belgium, November 18, 2015. (Photo by Yves Herman/Reuters)

Athlets run during the women's 3000 meter steeplechase at the International Athletics Meeting in Lucerne, Switzerland, 14 June 2016. (Photo by Alexandra Wey/EPA)

Chantel Sydnor participates in the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, August 4, 2015. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the rally expected to draw hundreds of thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts from around the world for events throughout the week-long festival, according to organizers. (Photo by Kristina Barker/Reuters)