The Scouting Fleet was created in 1922 as part of a major, post-World War I reorganization of the United States Navy.
The Atlantic and Pacific fleets, which comprised a significant portion of the ships in the United States Navy, were combined into a new entity, the United States Fleet.
Under the general heading of "Forces Not Assigned to the United States Fleet" came six categories: (a) Asiatic Fleet; (b) Naval Forces, Europe; (c) Special Service Squadrons; (d) Submarine Divisions, Atlantic; (e) Submarine Divisions, Pacific; and (f) Naval District Forces.
While there was a reorganization in 1930, and the renaming of the Battle Fleet and Scouting Fleet as the Battle Force and Scouting Force, this would be the core structure of the United States Navy until the beginning of World War II.
[1] Established in 1922, the fleet consisted mainly of older battleships and initially operated in the Atlantic ocean.