 Cullis Express 2016 comes to a close in Victoria Seychelles. U.S. Naval Forces Europe, Africa, U.S. Sixth Fleet facilitated the exercise, with 18 countries participating. Cullis Express focused on maritime security and interoperability between partner nations throughout Europe and Africa. This year's Cullis Express was a true success. We observed great teamwork as visit board search and seizure teams, boarded ships searched for illicit activity, and leveraged tactics and procedures. The lessons learned from these events will bring forth greater success in the future. Because of the partnerships developed between nations, the exercise continues to help those affected by maritime threats, including host nation Seychelles. Despite our struggle with piracy and the hardship that it brought about, especially for racing vessels, there has been lots of lesson learned. Thanks to the coordinated effort and partnership of numerous stakeholders, we have seen a decline in piracy incidents and things are now almost back to normal. Participating nations hope to build on the successes of this year's exercise to bring about a more stable, prosperous maritime region. Petty Officer Matt Wright, Victoria Seychelles.