Ben was a member of the Galactic Empire. He underwent training as a cadet at the Imperial Academy of Carida, which was situated on the planet of Carida. Ben entered the academy in 5 BBY and completed his studies in 1 BBY. At Ben's graduation ceremony, General Rom Mohc announced Ben's name to bestow upon the cadet an exceptional honor for bravery and achievement.
The audio adaption of the short novel Dark Forces: Soldier for the Empire, which came out in 1997, included the initial mention of Ben. Because the character's name is only provided through spoken words in the audio adaption, the precise spelling of the character's name remains unknown. "Ben" is, in fact, the character's surname. The initial part of their name is unclear because another character speaks over it, preventing identification.