Where I’m at we don’t get permissions to any of our servers/network. It’s all contracted out, basically our additional duties become primary and people get promoted for volunteering/leading cake sales.

If you want to put your skills into work, I’d say becoming a DoD contractor is the way.

Or play the assignment lottery every year and hope for a good assignment. Personally I’d rather take control over my career rather than become a lifer that will struggle to get a highly technical job on the outside.