By: Paul D. Shinkman Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Defense Department, indicated Thursday he would not oppose women serving in combat positions, among the greatest social changes to the armed forces imposed under President Barack Obama’s administration. In response to a question from Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., Mattis emphasized that no training standards should be changed for female troops. “The standards are the standards, and when people meet the standard, that’s the end of the discussion about that,” Mattis said during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Mattis, who retired in 2013 after more than 40 years of service, had previously indicated he disagreed with Obama’s decision to open up all combat jobs to women, citing concerns that included male-and-female relationships. Politico reported the issue would be a point of scrutiny for congressional Democrats considering both Mattis’ confirmation and a…