I have not posted there- perhaps I shall. I have 3 years of experience in defense software doing C/C++ and Perl. I'm not a coding superstar or genius but I am genuinely passionate and grew up with a Linux family PC in the 90s. The trouble is that the work in defense was so monotonous that I learned practically nothing. The sensitive nature of the work also means that I cannot talk about it very much in interviews. I'm going to borrow your tactic of not being shy about previous negative experiences with managers. Thanks
As a person who formerly worked in both defense and other classified environments, I definitely empathize with what you are saying regarding not being able to share much about your previous experiences. Best thing I can recommend is to spend some time building a public portfolio, even if it’s doing simple stuff.
It will benefit you in multiple ways, not the least of which includes honing/practicing your skills, learning some new technologies, and having something to show for it.