ND Air Force base commander fired

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - The military says the commander at the Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota has been relieved of his command.

The Air Force told The Associated Press on Friday it lost confidence in Col. Joel Westa's ability to command the base.

The military says Westa was unable to "foster a culture of excellence," and showed a "lack of focus on the strategic mission during his command." The Air Force says he was not relieved for any alleged misconduct or wrongdoing.

Westa has been the base commander since October 2007.

Westa was ousted a little more than two weeks after the base's missile wing commander was relieved of his duties following a series of mishaps including two crashes of vehicles carrying missile parts in a little more than a year.