I'm not out for quotas. I'm out to attract the best young men and women of our nation.

A Marine is a Marine. I set that policy two weeks ago - there's no such thing as a former Marine. You're a Marine, just in a different uniform and you're in a different phase of your life. But you'll always be a Marine because you went to Parris Island, San Diego or the hills of Quantico. There's no such thing as a former Marine.

I'm not out for quotas. I'm out to attract the best young men and women of our nation.

Why wouldn't female Marines come forward? Because they don't trust us. They don't trust the command. They don't trust the leadership.

There's a mindset of flexibility and adaptability that comes with us. We don't mind hardship. We don't mind somebody saying, "Go in and do this nasty job." Whatever the job is, we can do it. That's why the nation has a Marine Corps.

Tell the truth. Do your best no matter how trivial the task. Choose the difficult right over the easy wrong. Look out for the group before you look out for yourself. Don't whine or make excuses. Judge others by their actions and not by their race or other characteristics.

Whatever the job is, we can do it. Thats why the nation has a Marine Corps.