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Retired Iowa National Guard General dies

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June 28th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa National Guard says F-16 fighter jets will fly over West Des Moines this weekend to honor a retired Air Guard General who has died.  Brigadier General Travis K. Acheson died June 21st after a year-long battle with brain cancer. General Acheson graduated from Valley High School in 1986 and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from The University of Iowa in 1990. He retired from the Guard after 33 years in September 2022.

(Ret.) Brigadier General Travis K. Acheson

He amassed nearly three-thousand flying hours in the F-16 and completed over 500 combat hours during five overseas deployments. He also had a career as a commercial pilot with American Airlines.

Acheson is survived by his wife Brooke and three daughters. There will be an F-16 flyover around 10:30 Saturday at Resthaven Cemetery following a celebration of life ceremony.