A "former paratrooper" refers to someone who used to be a member of the military and was specifically trained to jump out of airplanes, often behind enemy lines. Full definition
But some see their regular gatherings as laying the groundwork for former paratrooper Dan Jarvis to launch a leadership challenge — while not including him directly allowing him to deny direct involvement. (theguardian.com)
But the former paratrooper is returning to the frontline of politics as he takes on the government over child poverty targets (totalpolitics.com)
Jarvis, the former paratrooper who is known to have been raising money from former Labour donors, denied that his words should be taken as a critique of the current leadership. (theguardian.com)