A soldier trained to jump from aircraft using a parachute and land behind enemy lines or in difficult terrain.
From Greek 'para-' (beside, alongside) + 'trooper' (a soldier). 'Para' emphasizes coming alongside the ground from above.
Paratroopers were invented by the Italians in the 1930s, but Germany perfected the strategy—they called them 'Fallschirmjäger' (parachute hunters). Now every military uses this tactic from less than a century ago.
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