That's a great question, and my short answer would be
yes. The Americans, the British, the Japanese, Russians and Germans all employed
airborne troops to different degrees, and I would say the Germans were the most forward
thinking as far as how they should be used, and the Americans near the bottom of the
list.
The American military has always been a very
conservative organization, resistant to change in both doctrine and tactics. The
Airborne divisions the US created were cutting edge, very well armed and well trained,
but rarely used in an airborne capacity.
The D-Day
assaults in June of 1944 were a perfect demonstration of their military value, and of
the elite class of troops the US had created. They were often used as a bludgeon after
that, however, rarely jumping, and in the case of Bastogne during the Battle of the
Bulge (perhaps their most heroic and effective moment) they didn't jump at all, but were
rather trucked to the battlefield before they were
surrounded.
In my opinion, the military leaders of the
time tended to call on them as elite troops first, and consider where and how airborne
troops might best have been employed last. This was one reason for the high rate of
casualties and replacements they had (over 130% in the 101st
Airborne).
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