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MINOT, N.D. (AP) A new commander is on the job at the Minot Air Force Base.

Col. Douglas Cox has replaced Col. Joel Westa as commander of the base's 5th Bomb Wing.

The Air Force said it lost confidence in Westa's leadership.

The move came barely two weeks after the removal of the other commander at the base. Col. Christopher Ayers had led the 91st Missile Wing. He was replaced by Col. Fred Stoss.

Cox says his priority is to, "make sure we are ready." He says one of the biggest challenges for the base is building credibility.

Cox was stationed at the Minot Air Force Base in the 1990s, as a navigator on the same B-52s he now oversees. Before his current job, he was the vice commander of Andersen Air Force Base in Guam.

Information from: KXMC-TV, http://www.kxnet.com (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 11-04-09 0330CST | save this article / add to your favorites list