Abstract: Awareness of the range of military vocational opportunities can come from many places. Influences like family, friends and mentors play a large role in the perceptions adolescents and young adults develop regarding opportunities and threats of serving in the military (Kleykamp, 2006). School counselors are also equipped to help students gain valuable information about potential service opportunities that may fit a student’s goals and attributes (Dahir, 2001). Deliberate career planning may afford students a broader range of consideration and, thus, success in their post-secondary school growth and societal viability. Understanding what adolescents perceive about military service and what influences these perceptions is important to supporting them in developing interests and all possible avenues to pursue them. This study contributes to understanding what 10th graders know about military service. Most research in this space involves young adults who have already left high school. Understanding military eligibility requirements (cognitive, physical, moral) early in high school can aptly mitigate or enhance behaviors to support a desire to serve . It is hoped that exploring this knowledge and how it is constructed, at an age when interest development is most robust, can apply to predicting choice goals in other academic occupational domains as well. Research is needed to further understand childhood experiences and their timing in relation to development of career path interests. This may enable early preparation for potential life pursuits.