I believe the issue is not that it has been an odyssey with me but that it has been an issue at all. In other words why is there a need to jump through hurdles, to go out of my way to simply want to work?

I respect hierarchy and understand protocol and so forth but you and I both know very well that if I go outside "my" immediate leadership network for help in this , it will be frowned upon by the ones over me and I may will be labled a "rebeller" for not following sop (which I have to no avail).