Army - Us Paratrooper - 1st Battalion 8th Cavalry - T shirt - ClassicA paratrooper is a military parachutistsomeone trained to parachute into an operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne force. Military parachutists (troops) and parachutes were first used on a large scale during World War II for troop distribution and transportation. Paratroopers are often used in surprise attacks, to seize strategic objectives such as airfields or bridges.