History Main / InstitutionalAllegianceConcealment

!!Examples

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* In ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', after Azula, Mai and Ty Lee, defeat the Kyoshi warriors, the trio take advantage of the heavy face makeup / facepaint to impersonate them. Azula, being a ruthless and cunning Fire Nation princess, uses the disguise to get close to infiltrate the Earth Kingdom in an effort to conquer it from the inside by getting close to the Earth King.

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[[AC:TabletopGames]]
* In ''TabletopGame/DeltaGreen'', since the eponymous organization is trying to [[NoSuchAgency mantain secrecy]], their agents aren't employed by Delta Green but by the FBI, CIA, DEA, CDC and other agencies, they have "day jobs" on their parent agencies and are designated into Delta Green operations when necessary. Sometimes if the operations calls for it, the higher-ups can get them the cover of a relevant agency for the operations.
** NRO Delta agents are employees of the National Reconnaissance Office as a cover, but since the NRO [[NoSuchAgency doesn't officially exist]], they are [[TheSpook institutionally invisible]] and have double cover to hide their allegiance to [[spoiler:[[GovernmentConspiracy MAJESTIC-12]]]].
* ''TabletopGame/{{Stormbringer}}'' supplement ''Stormbringer Companion'', adventure "Hall of Risk". One of the possible starts is "On Orders from the Queen", in which Queen Yishana of Jharkor asks for volunteers from her military to investigate the title Hall in the nation of Shazaar. She tells them that the job is "unofficial" and orders them to remove all Jharkor insignia and colors from their armor and shields and deny being from Jharkor if anyone in Shazaar asks them.
* Happens on a semi-regular basis in ''TabletopGame/BattleTech''. One of the most famous instances was during the 4th Succession War, when the [=ComGuard=], Comstar's top secret military branch [[note]]so top secret that the Inner Sphere wouldn't even learn of its existence for another 25 years[[/note]], staged an attack on the New Avalon Institute of Science in an attempt to destroy the military research that was being conducted there while disguised as a mercenary unit.

[[quoteright:350:[[Series/LineOfDuty https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lod_jc_profile.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:A cop going undercover.[[note]]John Corbett's profiles before and after going in as a criminal.[[/note]]]]

!Examples

* ''Film/{{Tenet}}''. In the opening hostage scene at the Opera House, the protagonist's team wait until the local [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_Operational_Response_Unit KORD unit]] shows up to deal with a terrorist attack. As they are wearing standard black BDUs with gas masks and ballistic helmets, all they have to do is select the appropriate KORD velcro shoulder patch from a bunch of patches they have of the different units that might have turned up, then charge in with the real KORD elements. Unfortunately it turns out their team isn't the only one pulling this trick.

* ''Series/SleeperCell'' is entirely one show about a Muslim-American FBI agent Darwyn al-Sayeed who masqueradese as a potential jihadist recruit in order to take down LA-based jihadi cells, made up of foreign and American Muslims, having converts in this ranks.

* ''Series/Spooks'' uses this trope as a recurring device when [=MI5=] agents need to conduct undercover operations to gather the needed evidence to put away the bad guys. However, things don't always go according to plan. And in some instances, the agency is sometimes forced to retire their best officers. [[spoiler:Like Zoe.]]

* In ''Magicians of Literature/{{Gor}}'' Tarl and his friend Marcus get jobs as auxiliary guardsmen, which gives them license to freely roam the city armed, while also going around instigating civil unrest as the "Delta Brigade" (named after a failed military campaign in a delta). Occasionally they take off their guardsman armbands, create some mayhem as the Brigade, and then reattach the armbands in order to "investigate" their own crime.

* The Ghosts of Razgriz themselves become this retroactively Wardog Squadron was said to be taken out near the end of ''VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar'', since their involvement in the war and even existence is denied by Osea for ten years thereafter--even the title of the game refers to this.

* ''Stormbringer'' supplement ''Stormbringer Companion'', adventure "Hall of Risk". One of the possible starts is "On Orders from the Queen", in which Queen Yishana of Jharkor asks for volunteers from her military to investigate the title Hall in the nation of Shazaar. She tells them that the job is "unofficial" and orders them to remove all Jharkor insignia and colors from their armor and shields and deny being from Jharkor if anyone in Shazaar asks them.

* ''Film/{{Shiri}}'' has the 8th Special Forces unit going rogue from the Korean People's Army. As such, they blend in by [[IdenticalLookingAsians being identical to South Koreans]] and [[DressingAsTheEnemy pretending to be South Korean SWAT officers and soldiers]] in order to fufill their terror plot. Which is TruthInTelevision as part of North Korean special forces doctrine.

* ''Film/{{Tenet}}''. In the opening hostage scene at the Opera House, the protagonist's team wait until the local [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_Operational_Response_Unit KORD unit]] shows up to deal with a terrorist attack. As they are wearing standard black BDU's with gas masks, all they have to do is select the appropriate KORD shoulder patch from a bunch of patches they have of the different units that might have turned up, then charge in with the real KORD. Unfortunately it turns out their team isn't the only one pulling this trick.

* ''Film/MaxManus''. When carrying out a mission to destroy ships in a Norwegian harbor, the Norwegian commandos wear British uniforms and leave a taunting message in English so the Germans won't retaliate against the local inhabitants. The Germans however realise that the raid had to be aided by local dock workers, so [[MakeAnExampleOfThem several are selected to be shot]].
* ''Film/{{Tenet}}''. In the opening hostage scene at the Opera House, the protagonist's team wait until the local KORD team shows up to deal with a terrorist attack. As they are wearing standard black BDU's with gas masks, all they have to do is select the appropriate KORD shoulder patch from a bunch of patches they have of the different units that might have turned up. Unfortunately it turns out their team isn't the only one pulling this trick.

* In the ''Resident Evil'' series, the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance's Special Operations Agents are allowed to wear different clothes/acquire their own weapons/gear since the Special Operations Unit are the main face of the BSAA in an anti-BOW operation. [=SOAs=] dispatched in an op are usually meant to conduct covert operations, including recon and going undercover, to investigate any suspects involved in the BOW trade.

* In the ''Splinter Cell'' series, the entire point of Third Echelon was to operate under deep cover and without official support from Washington aside from the usual logistics and field supplies from its allies without asking about the organization. 3E was to take the lead in the war against its enemies in the field of information warfare. Its successor, Fourth Echelon, operates under the same principle.
** In ''Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow'', CIA agent Norman Soth was deployed in Indonesia (under false names) during the Cold War to assist in training Kopassus and other Indonesian special forces unit to take down guerrilla forces operating throughout the archipelago as part of OPERATION: REDBEARD until Washington withdrew support. After being injured by a land mine and angered by Washington burning him and other agents in the country, Norman threw his support behind Darah Dan Doa.

* The last season of ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'' has Mack and the team masquerade as Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers assisting the NYPD after the Chronicoms show up in the 1930s since [=SHIELD=] was not "officially" created.

One of the few negative ideas about it is that it can sometimes lead to a FriendOrFoe scenario. Others bad scenarios include [[DontSneakUpOnMeLikeThat catching your allies unaware of who you are]] or [[PoorCommunicationKills miscommunication when the persons or groups involved are not identified correctly by friendlies.]] Sometimes, the undercover cop/agent/soldier/etc. can be forced into a [[IfYoureSoEvilEatThisKitten situation where they need to do something horrible]] [[ShootYourMate to prove that they're really a criminal/terrorist]].

** Throughout ''Series/{{NCIS Los Angeles}}'', this is how agents and support personnel of the Office of Special Project operate. They are a [=NCIS=]-sanctioned deep cover anti-criminal/terrorist unit.

* In Creator/BernardCornwell's ''{{Starbuck}}'' series about the American Civil War, the titular Major Starbuck exposes corruption in the base depot by posing as a notoriously drunken junior officer who nobody takes seriously. He exposes his real identity and higher rank when he is sure, and has proof that, supplies and rifles meant for the front are being sold for profit on the black market.

* In Creator/GeorgeMcDonaldFraser's ''{{Flashman}}'' series, the titular coward is faced with implacable native assassins trying to hunt him down. He reasons that the last place they will look is among native soldiers in the Indian army. So ~Flashman grows his beard long, exploits his native-fluency in Urdu and Pashtu, and signs up, masquerading as an ordinary native cavalryman. Later, he is able to justify this as he is there on Intelligence duties assessing the likelihood of native mutiny and has realized the only way a white Englishman can accurately understand what is going on, is to get to the natives on their level.

[[caption-width-right:350:A cop going undercover.]]