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Defense Secretary Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen testified on Capitol Hill Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – The U.S. military has between 12 and 18 months to show whether the war in Afghanistan will be a success, and it may have to be done with fewer troops than in Iraq, according to the top men at the Pentagon.

Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing Tuesday, he does not underestimate the challenge in Afghanistan, but is positive they are moving in the right direction in defeating the Taliban and insurgent forces.

"We've got to reverse of trend of violence over the next 12 to 18 months, and I think it's possible," Mullen said.

"We have the strategy right, we're resourcing it right," he said.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates spoke alongside Mullen at the hearing and warned the conflict would not be over in 18 months, but hoped to at least see a shift in the momentum.
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There are some new faces at the Pentagon.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Just when we thought it would be hard to tell the faceless bureaucrats in the Obama transition office from other the 24,000 faceless bureaucrats who already work in this building, the Pentagon Pass office made it simple.

The new arrivals have been issued “Purple” badges, which make then stick out like a sore thumb.

Most pentagon badges are white. Contractors get pink.

And the press badges are blue.

Perhaps that will help the purple badge people know to shut up when they see someone with a blue badge.

The transition team –we’ve been told - is under strict order not to talk to news reporters.

Chelsea Clinton has been campaigning for her mom in Puerto Rico since Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - The U.S. Navy denied Chelsea Clinton access to a former firing range in Puerto Rico on Wednesday, Navy officials said.

The Navy rejected the request because U.S. law forbids campaigning on federal property and because the Navy allows only people clearing the Vieques range of ordinance to enter the area, the officials said. They said they did not know what Clinton planned to do there.

The U.S. Navy used the long-controversial Vieques range - the majority of the island of Vieques - for bombing and artillery practice until May of 2003. It was the target of frequent protests by Puerto Ricans who objected to its use. It is now federal property being cleaned of unexploded ordnance.

Clinton - who has been campaigning for her mother, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton - is in the U.S. territory ahead of its June 1 primary. It is the largest prize left for the Democratic candidates.

Barack Obama's wife, Michelle, is also due to campaign there.