It’s a conundrum that Joseph Heller might have created if he were writing Catch-22 today. The military has wholeheartedly jumped on the social networking bandwagon, using Twitter and Facebook as part of their recruiting and public relations campaigns, even as it blocks access to the same websites on government owned computers and networks.

OhMyGov! reported last spring that the Air Force and the Army were both blocking Twitter and other social networking sites on their bases. Now, the Marine Corps has issued an administrative directive banning the access of the sites on its network. In yet another Heller-esque twist, Marine officials say the purpose of the ban is actually to allow waivers for Marines who need access as part of their duties, since the web filter already blocks social networks.

In a statement announcing the ban, the Marines said “the very nature of social networking sites creates a larger attack and exploitation window, exposes unnecessary information to adversaries and provides an easy conduit for information leakage.” We might add, this is as true for high school cliques as it is for sensitive military operations.

Just one day after the Marine Corps directive was issued, the Department of Defense announced that it would be conducting a review of both the threats and benefits of social networking and other Web 2.0 capabilities. Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn has asked for the review by the end of the month and promised that the Pentagon would issue a new policy no later than September 30.

While we hope for a clear, logical policy that allows access while also protecting national security, we won’t be at all surprised if it turns into a convoluted, murky mess.