Gen. James F. Amos, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, issued a statement regarding how he wants his charges to adapt to the new Pentagon decision that allows women to serve in combat billets. “Our ongoing deliberate, measured and responsible approach to validate occupational performance standards for all Marines is consistent with [Defense Secretary Panetta’s] decision,” Amos wrote, shortly after the Jan. 24 announcement. “Our focus will remain on combat readiness and generating combat-ready units while simultaneously ensuring maximum success for every Marine. The talent pool from which we select our finest warfighters will consist of all qualified individuals, regardless of gender,” Amos wrote.