This study examines one possible socio-cultural explanation for the events which took place in Somalia in early 1993, asking to what extent military culture (particularly the culture of the Canadian Airborne Regiment) affected the behaviour of Canadian soldiers there. The study methodology included examination of visual and written records as well as extensive interviews with Canadian Forces personnel involved in those events. The study is organized into sections reflecting the factors affecting the events discussed: contradictions within the military establishment, the culture and organization of the Airborne combat unit, and the situational contingencies that arose from the external environment in Somalia (physical, social, and cultural).