Final answer:
Agent Orange is a herbicide and defoliant chemical used during the Vietnam War to strip trees and plants in order to expose the Vietcong. It caused environmental damage and health problems due to dioxin exposure. The U.S. military sprayed large areas of Vietnam with Agent Orange.
Step-by-step explanation:
Agent Orange is a herbicide and defoliant chemical used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War as part of its herbicidal warfare program, Operation Ranch Hand. It is a mixture of two herbicides, 2,4,5-T and 2,4-D, and was aerially sprayed over vast areas to strip the trees and plants, making it harder for the Vietcong to hide. However, it had damaging environmental effects and caused major health problems due to the presence of dioxin. The United States sprayed nearly 4.5 million acres of Vietnam with herbicides and defoliants, including Agent Orange, between 1961 and 1971.