Quote Originally Posted by Sigaba View Post
In regards to the former, if you've not already done so, you might profit from sounding out professors you'd want to have on your committee. Do they have time to work with you? Do they want to work with you? Will their areas of interest and expertise help or hinder your project? Do you trust each other? Do you get along?
That is really good advice, Sigaba.

Maddog, let me toss out one other piece of related advice - get a circle of friends both inside and outside the military, who can help. Crucial to this is a blend of people who know a lot about the area you are researching and ones who know almost nothing about it.

All to often, "knowing" an area really well means that you are stuck with the same questions, observations and perceptions. Having people working with you (usually paid in beer ) who know nothing about the area, gives you two advantages:

  1. They ask the "stupid" questions, i.e. the ones outside the cannon of normal science questions.
  2. They force you to communicate clearly.

This last point is crucial when writing a thesis. I've read too many theses where it was blindingly obvious to me that the person hadn't really mastered the topic, they were parroting what others had said without really understanding it and mastering the area.

The other reason to build such a group is simple; you will get frustrated with your committee and need to chew a few shoulders .