"So my big question is, do any of you like it"
No one in their right mind likes military parachuting, it is a different to sports parachuting as a nun is to a prostitute.
Military parachuting is a means of travelling a long distance with a fair degree of speed, and putting soldiers accurately onto the ground, with the minimum of injury and the maximum of suprise.
To this end the tactical aircraft (C130 etc) travel in at 500 feet or less. Modern tactical military parachutes enable the soldier to do a descent from 300 feet or lower. In the British Army/Royal Marines this is the norm, as is the German ‘regular‘ parachute Brigade (the 31st, has no conscripts).
Tactical flying to the DZ results in one thing - air sickness, the resultant vomitus makes even the most hardened who suffers not, to vomit. It is the norm to see the floor of an aircraft awash with vomit. All everyone wants to do, is get out of the bloody aircraft with your container, with no thought of what is actually on the ground - it has to be better than the aircraft.
No one enjoys military parachuting, and with night descents in bad weather, even the most stupid person is afraid.
The American style of "John Wayne" parachute descents from 800-1500 feet, with a high altitude aircraft approach, are not really tactical parachute operations. In the 82nd AIrborne Division, tactical military descents in training are a rare event. this being a major problem, when their bn‘s jumped over Panama - "Death Ground - Todays American Infantry in Battle", giving a good description, and discussing the need for realistic peacetime parachute training.
The Rhodesian Army was the only one to have ever really developed the use of parachuting as a military tool. Due to both their shortage of high capacity helicopters with a good range, and the need to move long distances, resulted in the use of Dakota‘s carrying 15-20 men of the Commando‘s of The Rhodesian LIght Infantry (and later the 2nd Battalion, The Rhodesian African Rifles, and certain elements of the Rhodesia Regiment) into contacts. On a number of occassions individual Troops (platoons) of the RLI Cdo‘s did three combat descents in one day into "hot" DZ‘s, with their soldiers actually packing their parachutes (British MXs) in the field!!!
Yours,
G/.