Norfolk. You and Slapout are entitled to your erroneous -- heretical, even -- thoughts...
You two might want to ponder the fact that Student was unusual and everyone isn't a Kurt Student; that even as sharp as he was, he had little to do with Eben Emael, possibly the greatest example of an economy of force special operation for many years; that he got shot by his own troopies in Holland; and that, after Crete, the Fallschirmjaeger were simply high skill light infantry; leg light infantry -- declining in skill (and elan) as the war went on and attrition took its toll and fighting under Army commanders...
You might also consider that the US Army really doesn't use its airborne forces at all well * and the Army's supposed to specialize in ground combat -- which is what airborne units do, ground combat -- the aircraft and the T-10s are just delivery efforts; trucks and tailgates, no more...
So if the Army can't use them well on the ground, you'll forgive me if I have little faith in the ability of the Air Force to properly employ them -- and yes, Louis Brereton assists me in that decision, so did William Momyer later and today so does Gregory Trebon...
* more often than not; there's been an occasional exception, Chief of Staff, Army dependent...
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