'The unforgiving school of trial and error': the 1 RAR Battalion Group in Somalia, January-February 1993

The Australian Force Somalia adapted to the complex cultural and political environment in the Baidoa region in Somalia. Operations were characterised by day and night patrolling punctuated by short, sharp and nasty encounters with Somali bandits and urban criminals rather than conventional warfare for which the Australians had been trained. In six weeks the Australians applied strict rules of engagement and dominated their area of operations, protecting the distribution of humanitarian assistance.