Count Includes 3 Civilians on Pentagon Staff

In announcing Tuesday that the U.S. military death toll in Iraq had reached 1,000, the White House said its tally included 997 troops and three Department of Defense civilian employees.

Soon after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, The Times began basing its reports of the U.S. military death toll on counts compiled by Associated Press, in part because they have been more up-to-date.

Until Tuesday, AP had included only U.S. troops in its tally.

But AP has changed its counting criteria to include all Defense Department employees.

As of early today, AP was reporting 1,003 military deaths -- 1,000 U.S. troops and the three civilian employees.

Both Associated Press and White House counts include those killed in action as well as those who have died in accidents and other incidents.

Neither count includes dozens of employees of Defense Department contractors -- including truck drivers, interpreters and other personnel -- who have been slain in Iraq.

Nearly 7,000 U.S. troops have been injured in the war.