 Nations from all over the world came together in both the Republic of Seychelles and Djibouti to participate in Cutlass Express 2016. The exercise has an overall goal of increasing maritime safety and security, and does this by placing teams from 18 participating nations in scenarios they could actually face on the water. Hopefully I like to think that one day that those tools might come in handy for them to be successful, to save their life or to stop a major shipment of some sort of illicit material entering our country. Placing those tools in the hands of our partner nations makes them self-sufficient, able to counter illicit activities on the water through regional cooperation and improved maritime awareness. The shipping that moves through this region and keeping the sea lines of communication open in this region is critical for some of the most rapidly developing economies in the world. So what we're doing here really has a global impact. Securing the waters for commerce starts with the hard-working sailors and service members who considered it a great achievement to complete the exercise. It would be a great honor for me because it is not an easy exercise, it's a difficult one. So I have to practice due diligence of what I've been taught. Even with Cutlass Express being so large and complex, the takeaway can be quite simple. I'll go home, I'll practice more, and I'll help others. Reporting from Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, I'm Senior Airman Nina Orlando.