AL NUKHAYB, Iraq – Puppies have more power than most people realize.

I’ve seen folks¹ – from a fresh-out-of-basic private to a grizzled general – melt at the sight of a puppy. The folks at the combat stress center at Camp Ramadi have the right idea: They’ve got a cute little dog living in a kennel just outside.

Her role at the center seems to work on two levels: Playing with a dog can be relaxing, and the pup can be something that attracts others, where they can learn of the services provided.

The folks at the Al Nukhayb outpost in southwestern Anbar province clearly subscribe to the idea. Four Washington National Guard soldiers and 35 Marines living on the tiny base have three dogs and four puppies. (A pack of wild dogs lives just outside the berm, but they’re not exactly stress-relieving.)

A group of us visited Al Nukhayb today, and I don’t think a single person could resist the charm of the pups.

(And why am I blogging about this? Because people like to see photos of cute puppies.)

^{1 - Including a certain brigade commander with the Washington National Guard. For sake of anonymity, let's call him. R. Kapral. Wait, no, that's too specific. Let's call him Ron K.}