All these large airborne formations are of no use in a real war.
How do you deploy them? Parachuting into a SAM infested red zone? Got some airlifters too many?
Once they jumped they are just light infantry, since no U.S. airborne unit has BMD style vehicles to make the final dash to the objective.

And I don't even start talking about supplying a brigade from the air ...

Air-transportable yes (as much as possible).
Airborne only up to battalion level (mechanized airborne = cavalry, if possible).
Airmobile - fancy word. Every light infantry unit should be capable of that. Own dedicated formations? No. And why? Airbornes don't have C-17 attached to them, either.


@ all this "Special" forces thing: What about getting regular infantry units into shape, instead of creating the fifth or six service branch?
But isn't it, that everybody tries to get away from dirty and dangerous and into more technicalized units, and those who can't make it end up in infantry? Negative selection. And then if you need infantry units that really do the job you have to start anew (and pin SOCOM on them)?
SOCOM should be really limited to politically/diplomatically/militarily "toxic" missions.