1973 Barracks battle was a conflict Ben witnessed as a child. The battle took place between the DHARMA Initiative and the indigenous inhabitants referred to as the Hostiles inside the DHARMA Barracks.
Little is known about the cause of this particular conflict, other than relations between the two groups were tense around that time. It was implied that these types of conflicts were a common occurrence as the school children had a well rehearsed drill when an alarm was sounded. During a science lesson, an explosion was heard from outside the classroom which caused the ground to shake. When an alarm sounded, the teacher Olivia immediately ordered her students to get into their positions on the floor as Annie locked the door. Olivia armed herself with a shotgun. A frightened and surprised Ben had to be pulled from his seat by Annie, who reassured him that they would be okay. ("The Man Behind the Curtain")