Cadet due to be deployed as taught (8)
I believe the answer is:
educated
'taught' is the definition.
(similar in meaning)
'cadet due to be deployed' is the wordplay.
'to be deployed' indicates an anagram.
'cadet'+'due'='cadetdue'
'cadetdue' anagrammed gives 'EDUCATED'.
'as' is the link.
(Other definitions for educated that I've seen before include "Clever" , "Trained; learned" , "Cultivated, knowledgeable" , "Instructed, taught" , "Schooled, enlightened" .)