Ben had dreams of being in the military and being commando, so when he joined the NSW Police, he wasn’t going to be happy staying in General Duties. But the first requirement of the TOU is time as a General Duties Constable, and Ben did much of his work in Sydney’s Bankstown.

TOU selection is considered almost impossible: 200 show interest, down to 44 who qualify to do the week-long “hell camp”, and then 14 make it through, of which 10 are selected. Ben’s description of the hell camp surely won’t raise anyone’s expectations of surviving it.

Ben had dreams of being in the military and being commando, so when he joined the NSW Police, he wasn’t going to be happy staying in General Duties. But the first requirement of the TOU is time as a General Duties Constable, and Ben did much of his work in Sydney’s Bankstown.
TOU selection is considered almost impossible: 200 show interest, down to 44 who qualify to do the week-long “hell camp”, and then 14 make it through, of which 10 are selected. Ben’s description of the hell camp surely won’t raise anyone’s expectations of surviving it.

The Lindt siege was the bravest day in Ben Besant’s life, and the worst. He faced and killed a shotgun wielding terrorist, but then learnt his actions contributed to the accidental death of a hostage. He believes another hostage died because he and his colleagues didn’t get there in time. As a Tactical Operations Officer (TOU), Ben and his mates were more prepared for their own deaths than those of hostages. He’d texted his goodbyes to his wife.

Ben’s training for that moment and family pedigree of service are typical of so many young Australians prepared to risk their lives responding to life threatening situations. His life since is also a cautionary example of the personal cost, as the damage of all the trauma he’d faced landed squarely on his family.

The Lindt siege was the bravest day in Ben Besant’s life, and the worst. He faced and killed a shotgun wielding terrorist, but then learnt his actions contributed to the accidental death of a hostage. He believes another hostage died because he and his colleagues didn’t get there in time. As a Tactical Operations Officer (TOU), Ben and his mates were more prepared for their own deaths than those of hostages. He’d texted his goodbyes to his wife.
Ben’s training for that moment and family pedigree of service are typical of so many young Australians prepared to risk their lives responding to life threatening situations. His life since is also a cautionary example of the personal cost, as the damage of all the trauma he’d faced landed squarely on his family.

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