True Blue Conversations Podcast

On this week's podcast, I speak with former Australian Army Reservist and NSW
Police Officer Matt Nicholson. Matt served in the NSW Police for 18 years.
After leaving school, Matt joined the Army reserves and joined the Royal Australian
Artillery Corps. In 2007, Matt was accepted into the NSW Police and headed to the
academy in 2008. Matt spent his career as a general duties officer and later moved
into the Raptor task force targeting bikie gangs and other organised crime groups.
Matt was diagnosed with PTSD and was medically retired from the NSW Police after
18 years' service, Matt suffered what every veteran and first responders face when
they transition out of service and how to find purpose as a civilian, this is a raw and
honest chat about life as a general duties police officer and what they face on a day
to day basis protecting the community.
Presenter: Adam Blum
Guest: Matt Nicholson
Editor: Kyle Watkins

On this week's podcast, I speak with former Australian Army Reservist and NSW
Police Officer Matt Nicholson. Matt served in the NSW Police for 18 years.
After leaving school, Matt joined the Army reserves and joined the Royal Australian
Artillery Corps. In 2007, Matt was accepted into the NSW Police and headed to the
academy in 2008. Matt spent his career as a general duties officer and later moved
into the Raptor task force targeting bikie gangs and other organised crime groups.
Matt was diagnosed with PTSD and was medically retired from the NSW Police after
18 years' service, Matt suffered what every veteran and first responders face when
they transition out of service and how to find purpose as a civilian, this is a raw and
honest chat about life as a general duties police officer and what they face on a day
to day basis protecting the community.
Presenter: Adam Blum
Guest: Matt Nicholson
Editor: Kyle Watkins

On this week's podcast, I speak with Arron Ferguson, a former 23-year NSW Police
Detective and 24-year Australian Army 1st Commando Regiment Special Forces
Operator. Arron joined the army first as a commando, and two years later, he was
offered a spot on a deployment to Timor. However, the NSW Police also offered a
full-time policing position at the academy. Arron lived a double life as both a
Detective and army Special Forces reserve soldier. Arron was involved in hundreds
of domestic police investigations and then deployments to Timor and highly kinetic
operations in Afghanistan as part of the special operations task force. He was forced
into early retirement due to a genetic muscle disease, which took a toll on his mental
health and, not to mention, his physical capabilities. In this podcast, Arron talks
about the loss of mates while he was deployed in Afghanistan, how policing has
changed from when he joined and the true mental cost of serving as a first responder
and in the military. Arron also talks about the mental health aspect of loss of purpose
and finding purpose again after being diagnosed with this genetic muscle disease,
and what every veteran and first responder struggles with transition back to civilian
life after living a high kinetic life that veterans and first responders live.
Presenter: Adam Blum
Guest: Arron Ferguson
Editor: Kyle Watkins

On this week's podcast, I speak with former NSW General Duties Police Officer Ben
O'Brien. Ben was born and raised in Sydney. Ben comes from a strong ADF family
background. Ben's grandfather was a World War II veteran. Ben had a Great uncle
who landed on Gallipoli and an uncle who served in Vietnam.
Ben's path to the Police wasn't the normal way. He was expelled from school; Ben
went off the rails and into a bad lifestyle. He had been going down the wrong path,
he cleaned up his act, turned his life around and joined the NSW Police in 2011. He
graduated in 2012. He was stationed at Harbourside LAC, then over the next 14
years, serving right across Sydney. Ben served for 14 years across multiple units,
working in plain clothes, attending everything from DV, MVA's, suicides, critical
incidents and a nursing home fire. Ben and two of his colleagues saved a few oldies
from a nursing home on fire. Ben got smoke inhalation and was hospitalised. All over
the news, radio and Ben and his colleagues were interviewed by Ben Fordham on
2GB. 
 In 2025, after years of attending traumatic jobs, it took its toll on Ben until one night
he got to breaking point. Ben had made peace that this shift was going to be his last.
He went to Balmoral beach Mosman, sat in the car, pulled out his gun, and had it
sitting on his lap. The darkest time in his life. He was so close to doing it until his
best mate came into my head, who had previously killed himself. The pain and loss
from his mistake changed Ben's life and mind that night. Ben knew he needed help,
Ben was diagnosed with PTSD and was medically retired from the NSW Police after
14 years' service, Ben suffered what every veteran and first responders face when
they transition out of service and how to find purpose as a civilian, this is a raw and
honest chat about life as a general duties police officer and what they face on a day
to day basis protecting the community.
Presenter: Adam Blum
Guest: Ben O'Brien
Editor: Kyle Watkins

On this week's podcast, I speak with Arron Ferguson, a former 23-year NSW Police Detective and 24-year Australian Army 1st Commando Regiment Special Forces Operator. Arron joined the army first as a commando, and two years later, he was offered a spot on a deployment to Timor. However, the NSW Police also offered a full-time policing position at the academy. Arron lived a double life as both a Detective and army Special Forces reserve soldier. Arron was involved in hundreds of domestic police investigations and then deployments to Timor and highly kinetic operations in Afghanistan as part of the special operations task force. He was forced
into early retirement due to a genetic muscle disease, which took a toll on his mental health and, not to mention, his physical capabilities. In this podcast, Arron talks about the loss of mates while he was deployed in Afghanistan, how policing has changed from when he joined and the true mental cost of serving as a first responder and in the military. Arron also talks about the mental health aspect of loss of purpose and finding purpose again after being diagnosed with this genetic muscle disease, and what every veteran and first responder struggles with transition back to civilian life after living a high kinetic life that veterans and first responders live.
Presenter: Adam Blum
Guest: Arron Ferguson
Editor: Kyle Watkins