Which operation involved the covert deployment of the 4400th Combat Crew Training Squadron to train the South Vietnamese Air Force?

The operation that involved the covert deployment of the 4400th Combat Crew Training Squadron to train the South Vietnamese Air Force is indeed Operation Farmgate. This operation took place in the early 1960s and focused on providing support to South Vietnam during the Vietnam War by training and assisting their air force.

Operation Farmgate was significant as it laid the groundwork for U.S. military involvement in Vietnam by enabling South Vietnamese pilots to gain invaluable experience and operational capability through direct training by U.S. personnel. The implementation of this operation marked a shift in U.S. military strategy, where the emphasis was placed on building the capabilities of allied forces directly rather than only conducting air strikes or ground operations.

In contrast, the other operations mentioned had different objectives and scopes. For instance, Operation Rolling Thunder was primarily a sustained bombing campaign aimed at North Vietnam, while Operation Linebacker 2 was another bombing campaign that came later in the conflict focused on heavily bombing targets in North Vietnam. Operation Barrel Roll, on the other hand, was a campaign primarily aimed at supporting the Hmong government in Laos. Each of these operations served distinct purposes, highlighting the multifaceted U.S. military efforts during the Vietnam War, but none focused specifically on training the South Vietnamese Air