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Army Secretary Esper Commends RAAP, Visits Virginia Tech

Nick Gilmore / RADIO IQ

The Secretary of the Army made a historic stop in the New River Valley Friday.

Mark Esper’s tour of the Radford Army Ammunition Plant marks the first time a sitting secretary has visited the facility.

Esper called the plant a national asset because the materials it produces are vital to the country’s defense efforts.

“That’s why I wanted to come down here today, to make sure I had a good understanding of what’s happening here at this wonderful facility and make sure it’s on a proper path to modernization," he said.

"To make sure we can continue to sustain it in the years ahead, so that our military – all services – are well prepared for any type of future conflict.”

Part of that modernization process is cutting down on emissions. The plant is one of the state’s biggest polluters.

That’s why officials are working on implementing a new incinerator that will drastically reduce the facility’s harmful emissions.

Esper expects the funding for that project to be secured later this year.

The Army Secretary also paid a visit to Virginia Tech, where he spoke with the school’s Corps of Cadets.

Nick Gilmore is a meteorologist, news producer and reporter/anchor for RADIO IQ.