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After embarking on his first trip to Afghanistan wondering whether there was an endgame for America's mission there, U.S. Rep. John Adler (D-N.J.) left convinced that success can be achieved -- with more troops.

As part of a delegation of three House Democrats and three Republicans, Adler, a Jewish congressman who represents parts of Ocean County, toured areas such as Camp Bastion and Nawa in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan, received briefings from regional commanders, and visited with deployed troops from Oct. 29-Nov. 2.

Though Adler couldn't put a specific number on the amount of extra troops the U.S. needs in Afghanistan, he said on a conference call with reporters that what he does know is that "where we have put more troops in the last few months, we have had tremendous success." Additional troops would advance the goal of establishing peace and stability in war-ravaged Afghan villages, Adler explained.

From witnessing a number of former battlegrounds that are now villages with daily commerce, Adler saw that there is already significant progress to that end.

"More troops would be able to do that job in more sections of Afghanistan and allow it to thrive as a stable and sovereign nation," Adler said.

The other congressmen on Adler's trip were Reps. Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam), Larry Kissell (D-N.C.), Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.), and Chris Lee (R-N.Y.). Adler said each member of the delegation asked military officers how many additional troops were needed, and the officers responded that the goal was not about obtaining a specific number of soldiers, but instead about doing enough to stabilize the region.

Gen. Stanley McChrystal, commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan, has requested 40,000 additional troops on top of the current American force of 68,000. U.S. officials have indicated that President Barack Obama is considering sending additional troops, but fewer than McChrystal's preference, according to media reports.

When he visited villages, Adler said he didn't wear a flak jacket or a helmet after receiving assurance that Marines cleared the villages, making them secure. Villagers were elated to see the Marines upon their arrival, making Adler feel even more secure on a personal level. However, the most important thing is not for villages to be secure enough for U.S. congressmen, but secure for Afghan civilians, Adler said.

Upon meeting U.S. soldiers, Adler said that "every man and woman I talked to missed home, missed the comfort of life" but wouldn't trade that in for the opportunity to serve their country.

Returning to the theme of stabilization, Adler said it is critical for the Afghan people to be confident with U.S. efforts, and that teaching locals techniques like better farming skills enhances the important relationship between Afghan civilians and Americans in the region. Failing to establish a similar confidence level with locals was a large part of America's failure in Iraq, he said.

"Part of winning the war is winning the confidence of the people," Adler said. "We didn't do that in Iraq until the end." "American leaders seem to realize that they can do a job well if they are given enough resources," he added.