Why scouting-force doctrine exposed uneven US officer preparation

By spring 1942, was the US Navy's problem unsuitable doctrine rather than officers failing to understand it?

Not entirely. Scouting-force doctrine was becoming more important, and some officers had studied battle-force doctrine while neglecting the other methods they were also expected to know.

US officers were expected to study both battle-force and scouting-force doctrine. As scouting-force methods became more important in 1942, that shared knowledge mattered. Some officers had concentrated on the force they served in instead. Because the battle force was larger, this left an uneven grasp of the doctrine now gaining importance.