I think that paratroopers are live and kicking.The thing is that they arent novadays deployed in large numbers.If you look at the last conflict at Afghanistan.You can see that there were little team sized units deployd all ower the operational area.These guys would drop from the sky,find key locations and pinpoint vital targets for airstrikes and cruisemissiles with devastating effects.Coalition used same tactics in second gulf war.The teams are so small that when their location is compromised.They retreat or scatter.The word paratrooper itself is misleading if we look at it from historical point of wiew.In WWII paratroopers were the only infatry that could use parashoots.Today its just a one special skill to infantry man than anyother.