Pentagon: U.S. Troop Total in Afghanistan Larger Than Reported | RealClearDefense

We shouldn't really be surprised. We have SOF forces in country that not always positively ID because maybe their there on a classified operation. You also got those working with CIA they are some times kept out of the official count.

"The officials, however, refused to provide similar details for Iraq and Syria, where there also are thousands more than the Pentagon publicly admits."

It's nobody's business but the military's.

Very interesting, not entirely unexpected though. The creative use of numbers and statistics to mislead others is an old tactic in gaining public approval.