How do I create a Compound path?

[Boldline]

I want to make all of the aqua letters one selection so I can clip something into all of them at the same time.
In illustrator it's a "compound path". How would I accomplish this in VS?

[VectorStyler]

@Boldline Object -> Combine -> Combine creates a single shape from these.
Also the first icon in the context panel boolean operations buttons does the same.

The result will be the same type of shape that AI calls compound path.

[Boldline]

@vectoradmin Thank you for explaining! This makes more sense. I had seen the combine option in the boolean operations panel but my Illustrator brain was not computing that - I get it now