Almost as long as wars have been fought dogs have played a part in them, helping us to stay safe thanks to their heightened senses and of course their incredible loyalty to their human companions. To celebrate this incredible bond that we share with our four-pawed companions here are 28 powerful photos of service dogs in action that prove why they’re so deserving of the title ‘man’s best friend.”

1. A soldier and his dog take a well deserved rest.

2. A seriously brave army dog in training.

3. A military paratrooper dog skydiving.

4. Service dog amongst his comrades.

5. A K-9 mourns the loss of US Marine Adam Leigh Cann.

6. Work hard, play hard.

7. Lucca visits an injured veteran at Walter Read.

8. A U.S. Air Force military working dog.

9. A U.Ss Navy Seal military working dog on a training exercise.

10. Sgt. Kevin Reese and his military working dog Grek wait at a safe house in Buhriz, Iraq.

11. Spc. Chavez And MWD Anouska return together from Afghanistan.

12. U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Jason Fischman with a tactical explosion detection dog.

13. Military dog Xarius shows Sgt. Mark Bush some affection.

14. Staff Sgt. Mark Bush takes a break from validation training to play with military working dog Lian.

15. Specialised search dog Lucca hanging out with her friends in Iraq.

16. Marine carrying his partner back after a two-hour-long search exercise.

17. Staff Sgt. Philip Mendoza comforts his military working dog Rico who’s wearing Doggles during training.

18. A dog handler gives his military working dog a drink from his own water source.

19. A dog saying goodbye to his friend.

20. Labradors often work alongside each other in countries such as Afghanistan to sniff out improvised explosive devices.

21. Military dog getting ready to bring the heat.

22. Military working dog Rico and his owner U.S. NAVY Petty Officer Blake Soller pay tribute at the National War Dog Cemetery.

23. A military dog takes a nap with his fellow comrades.

24. Tech Sgt. Andrew Montgomery comforts his dog Diesel whilst inside a UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopter.

25. A soldier and his dog jump off the ramp of a CH-47 Chinook Helicopter

26. A military dog watches over his partner whilst he sleeps.

27. “My Coworker With A New Military Attack Dog.”

28. U.S. Marine Corps working dog Wilbur takes a rest with a marine special operations team.

Source: americanmilitarynews.com