a.r.b. have been completed and a september 2013 inspector general s report noted the recommendations were made in a way that was quickly taken seriously and that i took charge directly of oversight for the implementation process. here are some examples. more diplomatic security and d.o.d. personnel are on the ground at our facilities today. we have increased the skills and competency by increasing training time in the high threat course. we have expanded the foreign affairs counter threat course so that the skills are shared by not just the diplomatic security agents but people like chris stevens and sean smith, as well. we have also been working hard to up the interagency cooperation. the interagency security teams that you asked about earlier,
congress woman, that is a continuing commitment we are working on. i know because of this terrible tragedy d.o.d. is much more focused on what needs to be thought through with respect to planning and reaction. you know, we had problems in the past with the pastor from florida, terryens jo, jones, ig riots and protests resulting in deaths of others. so we are trying to stay in very close touch between the state department and d.o.d. secretary gates called him and asked him not to get involved in what he was doing because it was dangerous to our troops and civilians. unfortunately, you know, he has a mind apparently of his own. so we are tying to have a closer coordinated planning and
response effort. with respect to your specific questions that are really within the purview of the department of defense like deployment of certain navy vessels, air wings and the like, i think that d.o.d. is trying hard to think about how particularly in north africa and the middle east they can respond because one of the claims that was made that was proven to be untrue was that d.o.d. withheld sending air support. indeed, the closest air support that would have been in any way relevant was too far away. they are trying to think about how they better deploy and station various assets so that they can have a quicker response time. i have not been involved intimately in this for two
coordinating with d.o.d., intelligence agencies, across the government, is there a move. i know this is not a secure room so we cannot talk about secrets. but september 11 is coming. are we moving aircraft carriers nearby? are we putting an air wing on a six-hour leash with one lift of aircraft on a two hour leash? do we have fast teams gearing up and ready to go? what is going on in light of the lessons learned in benghazi and what did you personally direct to happen especially at your level of interagency cooperation? excellent question and really at the heart of what i hope will come out of this and the prior investigations. in december of 2014 assistant secretary star from the state department testified before the select committee that 25 of the 29 recommendations made by the