Forum:What is the Difference?

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I know that this is not necessarily Halo related, but what is the difference between scouting and Reconnaissance? I've been going through several of the vehicle articles, and a few list both as their purposes. Missing Mandible (talk) 00:20, 24 January 2013 (EST)

I'm not an expert, but as I understand it reconnaissance is conducted specifically to gain information. Scouting is similar, but in a smaller, less deliberate scale. Scout patrols, for example, test enemy defences and determine where their lines are. Reconnaissance patrols gather as much information as they can without engaging or giving away their presence. -- Qura 'Morhek ^{The Autocrat of Morheka} 04:08, 24 January 2013 (EST)

Someone asked this question on B.net in 2008. The DOD defines "reconnaissance" as "A mission undertaken to obtain, by visual observation or other detection methods, information about the activities and resources of an enemy or adversary, or to secure data concerning the meteorological, hydrographic, or geographic characteristics of a particular area. Also called RECON." Wordy. Nothing on "scout" or "scouting" though. I guess the discussion in Bungie is correct, that scout performs the role of reconnaissance and participates in direct action (i.e. killing, eliminating, removing targets).— subtank 05:08, 24 January 2013 (EST)

From what I've gathered, reconnaissance usually involves the tracking and/or monitoring of enemy activities, whereas scouting usually deals with static things like enemy emplacements, obstacles, terrain, etc. Also, scouting is always done ahead of the larger group before it advances. Recon can be before or during.--FluffyEmoPenguin^{(ice quack!)} 18:16, 26 February 2013 (EST)