Wretchard: Outstanding comments about staying in contact with enemy elements. As a guy who spent time in recon, I can attest to the value of continuous scouting. The western tendency is to make scouts and snipers into
rear-echelon gofers in the mistaken belief that the main force will eliminate enemy forces so completely that no additional effort in determining their capabilities will be needed. You can pay a steep price for ass-u-me-ing that.