Abstract
This narrative describes two United States Air Force bandswomen whose combined careers span the past sixty years. Cornetist Martha (Martye) Jean Awkerman joined the U.S. Women in the Air Force (WAF) Band in 1955. She served the WAF band as cornet soloist and principal trumpet until the band was disbanded in 1961. In 1983, tubist Jan Duga joined the U.S. Air Force Band, Washington, D.C., and served until her retirement in 2013. During the decades between their terms of service, shifting societal structures, a rapidly expanding economy, and civil rights activism challenged traditional barriers to education and employment for women. In particular, the passage of Title IX and the fight for an Equal Rights Amendment engendered progress for women throughout the military.
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