Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      Black screen with white Air Force Logo, and text that reads million piece mission: the ultimate virtual puzzleMillion Piece Mission: The Ultimate Virtual Puzzle
                        
                        
                        U.S. Air Force, in partnership with full-service creative agency, GSD&M, launches the largest virtual multiplayer puzzle for the entire world to solve together.  “Million Piece Mission” was created with a 1.03 gigapixel image of the fourth building of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, taken shortly after the building’s opening in 2016 by photographer John Opie.
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

Air Force recruiting breaks Guinness World Records title with virtual pastime during pandemicPublished April 17, 2021
                    
                    By Chrissy Cuttita
                    
                    
                    Air Force Recruiting Service Public Affairs
            **JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas (AFNS) --**When the world shut down last year and people shut themselves in during the **COVID-19** pandemic, Airmen charged with inspiring and engaging the next generation discovered new ways to showcase America’s air power and dominate pixel space. To their surprise, their recruiting efforts earned the Air Force a Guinness World Records title for the largest online jigsaw puzzle.
“This record-breaking accomplishment of our Air Force recruiting team is just another example of how our innovative Airmen adapt and overcome,” said **Maj. Gen. Ed Thomas**, **Air Force Recruiting Service** commander. “I couldn’t be more proud of how our team rapidly developed the Million Piece Mission during a time when virtual interaction was how we connected. It is simply fantastic. Setting world records and breaking barriers is what Aiming High is all about."
In June 2020, the Million Piece Mission brought an interactive, billion-pixel image of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force to couches everywhere. Air Force Recruiting Service developed the interactive puzzle made up of 1.2 million pieces. More than 31,000 players around the world worked together to solve the jigsaw and they accomplished the mission in 18 days, 16 hours and 55 minutes.
During the pandemic, recruiters are dependent on virtual experiences for outreach events especially where recruiting offices are closed or operating in a minimal, in-person capacity and mobile tours are on hold.
“Air Force Recruiting Service’s primary mission is to engage with the American public, highlighting the career opportunities and benefits of serving in the Air Force,” said Maj. Jason Wyche, chief of the National Events Branch at AFRS, **Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph**. “The ‘Million Piece Mission’ enabled us to do that in a fun and unique way, while also allowing Americans to learn about the Air Force’s history through exploring the **National Museum of the U.S. Air Force** from the comfort of their homes.”
Million Piece Mission is free to play and accessed on AirForcePuzzle.com by desktop and mobile devices. Austin-based full-service creative agency GSD&M – the Air Force’s creative partner for 20 years – envisioned this concept, along with development partner, Active Theory.
Each visitor to the jigsaw’s online location averaged 12 minutes on the site and two-thirds of them fit the optimal 18- to 34-year old, problem-solving demographic that the Air Force looks for in potential recruits. According to GSD&M, a 97.4% positive rating indicates people enjoyed their experience with Air Force history.
Two Air Force missions were pieced together to accomplish the Guinness World Records feat.
“The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force and Air Force Recruiting Service have similar missions to inspire youth toward careers in the U.S. Air Force,” said David Tillotson, museum director. “So it’s a perfect fit for the world’s largest military aviation museum to be featured on the world’s largest virtual puzzle.”
The completed full image shows a collection of aircraft on display at the museum’s fourth building that was captured after the building’s opening in 2016 by photographer John Opie. As a puzzle, the image contains 3,000 tiles and a total of 1.2 million pieces.
As the world slowly finds a safer way to fit in COVID-19’s “new normal,” the Air Force plans to continue virtual recruiting efforts.AFWN 



USAF 



AF 



Air Force 



AETC 



Air Education and Training Command 



AFRS 



Air Force Recruiting Service 



Guinness World Records 



title 



virtual puzzle

Related Links
        Million Piece Mission case study Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                SecAF, CSAF, CMSAF begin Indo-Pacific trip focused on ACE
                    
                    DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fightInnovation
                F-16s arrive to be modified for autonomous testing
                    
                    AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalistsMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil