1,000

U.S. military deaths in the Iraq have passed 1,000

While reading news about todays military losses I came across the following: (Link)

The tally was compiled by the AP based on Pentagon records, AP reporting from Iraq, and reports from soldiers' families.

Do the reports from soldiers family's differ from the pentagon records? Do more family's know something that the pentagon is unwilling to admit? I find that whole sentence odd.