The purpose of Career Development Education is to develop, through individual career management and rigorous certification criteria, Air Force and Space Force professionals fully qualified to field, launch and employ systems and strategies to achieve national security objectives. Air Force and Space Force professionals must be capable of managing complex systems and programs; creating new technology, doctrine, and concepts of operation; operating a wide range of platforms and missions; and integrating joint warfighting and space power. This requires critical thinking and problem-solving skills to deliver combat capability using increasingly complicated and dynamic systems and technologies. The goal of Career Development Education is to cultivate highly specialized and expertly skilled Air Force and Space Force professionals who can meet the challenges of a rapidly developing political and technological landscape.