U.S. field commanders and the White House.

Dunford "is getting a lot of pressure from political people to pick a number less than 13,600," Sen. Lindsey Graham told reporters after the hearing, after the four-star general's testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"I can tell you, the number will matter," Graham (R-S.C.) said. "If the number is too small, we will fail."

In March, Dunford and U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan James Cunningham reportedly told House Armed Services Committee chief Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) they supported a postwar recommendation for 13,600 troops in Afghanistan.

President Obama has reportedly championed a postwar U.S. force of between 8,000 to 10,000 troops. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey has also publicly supported the smaller range of troops.

"I have never publicly talkedgeneral said during the Tuesday hearing on the current state of the Afghan war.

The aggressive use of armed drones in Afghanistan has played a significant role in turning the tide of the conflict, according to Dunford.

"I would tell you that the Taliban are very concerned about those vehicles, and they talk about them all the time," he told committee members.

However, he did acknowledge the tremendous toll those drone operations take on Afghan civilians.

"Even if we're doing it perfectly, if it creates, you know, a great deal of controversy within a civilian community," Dunford admitted, "that can make our challenge more difficult down the road."

But under reductions to the department's drone programs in the fiscal 2014 budget plan, the services might not have enough assets to support Dunford's postwar