it has become common in the worlds of -- words of general mccaffrey, a national place of healing.th three people and $2,800 of his own money. and for some of us that remember, $2,800 back then was a lot of money. he wound up creating a movement that altered but the physical landscape here on the mall and the psychological landscape of our nation. jan, your journey has helped heal a generation and we can never thank you enough. and startling contrast in the days of my youth and in ways i never imagined possible, the american people are fully behind our men and women in uniform, and their families. i am convinced that the lessons we learned from vietnam, the lessons of vietnam veterans have taught us, have played a big part of in this. it is taken many years for america to try to set things right for vietnam veterans and their families, and yet many task remain undone. many wounds remain unhealed. indeed today we are striving to meet their needs and to field looks visible and invisible ones for our afghanistan and iraq war veterans and their families. i truly believe that staying co

it has become common in the worlds of -- words of general mccaffrey, a national place of healing.an scruggs began this effort with three people and $2,800 of his own money. and for some of us that remember, $2,800 back then was a lot of money. he wound up creating a movement that altered but the physical landscape here the mall and the psychological landscape of our nation. jan, your journey has helped heal a generation and we can never thank you enough. and startling contrast in the days of my youth and in ways i never imagined possible, the american people are fully behind our men and women in uniform, and their families. i am convinced that the lessons we learned from vietnam, the lessons of vietnam veterans have taught us, have played a big part of in this. it is taken many years for america to try to set things right for vietnam veterans and their families, and yet many task remain undone. many wounds remain unhealed. indeed today we are striving to meet their needs and to field looks visible and invisible ones for our afghanistan and iraq war veterans and their families. i t

in an after action report in december of last year, retired general barry mccaffrey predicted that, and quote, the international civilian agency surge will essentially not happen. although the state department officers, usaid, cia and other american agencies will make vital contributions. afghanistan over the next twoo three years will simply be too dangerous for most civilian agencies. madasecretary, what is the status of the international civilian surge? it's so essential that we not just rely on the military side. and that's why general mccaffrey's prediction is alarming to me. >> i think i would agree with your premise that the civilian surge is absolutely critical as part of this broader campaign. on the u.s. side, we have more than tripled our civilian personnel and that is likely to increase further as the campaign unfolds. we have developed very cooperative concepts of operation s our civilians are partnered with and protected by military forces as well as their own state department securit forces. internationally as we've gone out to llies, we have pressed them not only to incr

in an after action report in december of last year, retired general barry mccaffrey predicted that, and i quote, the international civilian agency surge will essentially not happen. although the state department officers, usaid, cia and other american agencies will make vital contributions. afghanistan over the next two to three years will simply be too dangerous for most civilian agencies. madam secretary, what is the status of the international civilian surge? it's so essential that we not just rely on the military side. and that's why general mccaffrey's prediction is alarming to me. >> i think i would agree with your premise that the civilian surge is absolutely critical as part of this broader campaign. on the u.s. side, we have more than tripled our civilian personnel and that is likely to increase further as the campaign unfolds. we have developed very cooperative concepts of operation so our civilians are partnered with and protected by military forces as well as their own state department security forces. internationally as we've gone out to allies, we have pressed them not onl