Meaning:
Literally translated as an “airborne soldier,” this term refers to a new manager or official brought in from outside a company or government department. For the employees who have been working with an institution for a while, this new boss may leave them with the impression of “being dropped from the sky.”
Example:
A: 老王退休以后，小马当上你们经理了吗？
Lǎowáng tuìxīu yǐhòu, xiǎomǎ dāngshàng nǐmen jīnglǐ le ma?
Has Xiaoma been promoted to be the manager after Laowang retired?
B: 没有啊。公司总部从北京调了一个销售部经理来当我们分公司的经理。
Méiyǒu a。Gōngsī zǒngbù cóng běijīng diào le yīgè xiāoshòubù jīnglǐ lái dāng wǒmen fēn gōngsī de jīnglǐ。
Not really. The corporation headquarters sent some guy who was a sales department manager from Beijing to run our branch.
A: 原来来了个空降兵，小马一定很失望。
Yuanlai lai le ge kōngjiàngbīng, xiǎomǎ yīdìng hěn shīwàng。
So an “airborne soldier” was sent to fit in the position. Xiaoma must be rather disappointed.
(Edited by Stephanie Yang)