In the context of the ongoing deracialisation of education policy in England, Charlotte Chadderton considers the implications of the Troops to Teaching (TtT) programme, introduced in England in autumn 2013, for Initial Teacher Education (ITE) and race equality. TtT fast-tracks ex-armed service members to teach in schools, without the requirement of a university degree. Employing theories of white supremacy, and Althusser’s (1971) concept of Ideological and Repressive State Apparatus, she argues that despite appearing to be aimed at all young people, the initiative is actually aimed at poor and racially subordinated youth. This is likely to further entrench polarisation in a system which already provides two tier educational provision. Moreover, TtT contributes to a wider devaluing of current ITE. More sinister, she argues that TtT is part of the wider militarisation of education. This military-industrial-education complex seeks to contain and police young people marginalised along lines of race and class, contributing to a wider move to increase ideological support for foreign wars - both aims ultimately in the service of neoliberal objectives which will feed social inequalities and continue to essentialise race.