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FM 21-75 Scouting, Patrolling and Sniping 1944-02-06 "1. IMPORTANCE. Commanders must have accurate, detailed, and timely information about the enemy, the terrain, and neighboring troops for successful combat. Well-trained scouts and capably led patrols are among the agencies which furnish them such information. 2. THE SCOUT. A scout is a soldier employed in reconnoitering under conditions which require exceptional ability in the use of arms, ground and cover, in movement, in observing, and in accurately reporting the results of his observation. Scouts usually operate in pairs. 3. QUALIFICATIONS. Although all soldiers should be able to act as scouts, some are better suited than others for this work. Men selected to be scouts should be reliable, persevering, intelligent, patient, and should be able to read and write clearly.