A Salute to Paratroopers

Among the U.S. troops currently deployed in the Middle East are the airborne soldiers that comprise America's rapid response force—the paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division.

In light of several thousand airborne soldiers from the 82^nd Airborne Division recently being deployed to the Middle East region, now is an appropriate time to consider and honor one of America’s most respected military fighters, the paratrooper.

The 82^nd Airborne Division, an airborne infantry division, serves as a rapid deployment force and is the largest parachute unit in the free world. This elite division of paratroopers is among the most honored and respected group of soldiers in the entire U.S. military.

The Paratrooper

Paratroopers, also referred to as “airborne” soldiers, are military forces who are trained to utilize parachutes to jump from aircraft into combat zones, typically landing behind enemy lines to secure key combat objectives. Because they are inserted into the battlefield from the air, the paratrooper is able to drop into places that are less accessible to conventional forces. These elite soldiers earn their airborne “wings” after completing their training at the Army’s exclusive airborne school (which also trains military personnel from the various other branches).

Parachuting is distinguished from skydiving in that it involves static line jumps accomplished at low altitudes (in which the parachute—attached to a line inside the airplane—opens automatically), versus freefall jumps from high altitudes where the chute is deployed manually.

While Leonardo da Vinci is known to have sketched the first (pyramid-shaped) parachute, Benjamin Franklin is often cited as the first to conceptualize the use of parachute infantry soldiers in warfare (he referred to them as “sky soldiers,” and envisioned them being dropped from hot air balloons). Towards the end of World War I, an American general proposed to drop airborne soldiers behind the German lines in France in 1919, but the plan was aborted as a result of the Armistice. Paratroopers weren’t used extensively in warfare until WWII.

U.S. airborne forces are distinguished by the maroon beret that they proudly wear, which while worn in earlier years, wasn’t officially authorized for all airborne personnel until 1980. The airborne-qualified Army Rangers wear the tan beret (previously the black beret until 2001), while the famous “green beret” “special forces” soldiers also are parachute-qualified.

Paratrooper History

D-Day (World War II)

Operation Overlord took place in France on June 6, 1944, as part of the Second World War. About 13,000 paratroopers from the 82^nd and 101^st Airborne Divisions, along with elite British and Canadian counterparts, dropped behind enemy lines in Normandy, in order to secure the flanks of the beaches that would later be used for landing. About 2,500 of these soldiers were killed in the operation, representing a twenty percent casualty rate. Planners had predicted a blood bath for these units, originally estimating a casualty rate between 50 to 80 percent.

Panama (Operation Just Cause)

In the first combat jump for the 82^nd Airborne Division (and the largest night combat airdrop) since World War II, paratroopers were used by the U.S. military in 1989 to depose the Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega. Over 3,000 airborne troops participated in the operation. Some may recall the use of airborne Psychological Operations (“Psyops”) paratroopers, who blasted Noriega with loud music for days while he was hiding out in the Vatican embassy, prior to his eventual surrender.

Operation Desert Shield/Storm

In the largest deployment of American troops since the Vietnam War, paratroopers from the 82^nd Airborne Division were deployed to the Middle East in 1990 as part of Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm for the liberation of Kuwait. While the 82^nd participated extensively in the operation, drove deep into Iraq, and captured thousands Iraqi soldiers, no airborne/parachute operations took place as part of the conflict.

Operation Iraqi Freedom

Until today, the most recent use of paratrooper forces occurred on March 26, 2003, as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom in Northern Iraq. About 1,000 airborne soldiers were involved in the operation. It was the first combat insertion of paratroopers to use the relatively newer C-17 transport aircraft. These soldiers were used to open and sustain a northern front, after Turkey refused to permit U.S. ground forces to use their territory for the invasion of Iraq.

Famous Paratroopers

Rod Serling

Rod Serling, screenwriter and television host, is best known as the creator and narrator of The Twilight Zone television series. After enlisting in the U.S. Army, he served in the 11^th Airborne Division in World War II and participated in both the Battle of Leyte and the Battle of Luzon in the Philippines. He had at least two major combat jumps, and was awarded both the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star for his service during the Battle of Manila.

Kris Kristofferson

Kris Kristofferson was a musician and actor. Some may remember him as the character “Whistler” in the 1998 vampire movie Blade. He joined the Army in 1961 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant, and later was promoted to captain. He attended U.S. Army Ranger School and completed helicopter pilot training. While he was trained as a paratrooper, his role can be technically described as that of an “Airborne Ranger helicopter pilot.”

Jimmy Hendrix

Jimmy Hendrix was a guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and is widely known as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. After enlisting in the U.S. Army, he completed his paratrooper training in 1961. He served as a paratrooper for two years, and later sought and was granted an early discharge in 1962. He made a total of 26 parachute jumps during his time in the Army.

(It should be noted that as a musician, while he expressed his love for America, he also used his music in protest to the war in Vietnam, which he personally opposed—making him a controversial figure.)

The Iran Conflict

Our paratroopers could again be potentially headed into harm’s way. How they will be used in the conflict with Iran remains unknown.

As you say your prayers tonight, please remember to think of them, and if you are so inclined, you might consider asking Saint Michael the Archangel, the patron Saint of paratroopers, to lift up your prayers for their protection to God’s heavenly ears.

revised on May 6, 2026

Addendum: A special thank you to several of our readers. Sua Sponte confirmed that soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division, while it is an elite unit, are not considered as “Special Operations” (Spec Ops) forces, although the airborne Psyops soldiers mentioned above, who also wear the maroon beret, are considered as part of the Special Operations community. This reader also confirmed that the Rangers switched from wearing the black beret to the tan beret in 2001, after the Army authorized the black beret to be worn by all soldiers. Another reader, Gene Smith, confirmed that the maroon beret was worn earlier than 1980 by airborne forces as a result of specific, but less formal, Army policies.

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