The clock is literally ticking at the United States Naval Observatory (USNO) where Capt. Michael Riggins, U.S. Navy, currently serves as the 56th superintendent.
A Snyder native, Riggins assumed his duties in August 2017, becoming the first African-American to serve as a superintendent at the USNO.
“I’m honored to serve as superintendent, and hopefully, this will pave the way for others to take the position, including females,” he said.
Riggins was selected to fill the position by a command review board. However, his situation since acquiring the position has been unique.
“The Naval Observatory is unique in that there’s no career path that gets you ready for the job,” he said. “I came to be the deputy superintendent for a year, which is like a vice principal of a school. I served as deputy superintendent from July 2016 to August 2017, and then I became the superintendent, which is like the principal.”
As superintendent, Riggins oversees operations and staff at the USNO.
“I have a $35 million to $38 million budget each year, and I’m responsible for the safety and well-being of all my people,” he said. “One thing that’s different at the Naval Observatory is that about 85 to 90 percent of the staff are civilians. Our civilians play a huge role in our country. Their service is just as much as ours as military. They derive the information that we need to do our jobs. I’m at a command where the operators are civilians.”
Riggins’ primary mission is the USNO’s master clock.
“I’m responsible for all of the time for the U.S. Navy and the Department of Defense,” he said. “When you look at your cell phone or computer, the time that you see there is derived from the Naval Observatory. A lot of folks think that GPS (global positioning system) is responsible for the time, which is partially true, but GPS gives us the information we need to determine the time.”
Riggins said his secondary mission is being responsible for the celestial reference frame, which is maintained by scientists.
“They observe and keep up with the positions and motion of celestial bodies,” he said. “They are like the Coast Guard of space. We have a celestial reference frame that indicates where celestial bodies are and the terrestrial reference frame on Earth. Anything that flies can use those frames.”
The USNO also provides applications to those who need to navigate, which produces the astronomical almanac and the nautical almanac in conjunction with Her Majesty’s Nautical Almanac Office in the United Kingdom.
“We keep up with how Earth is oriented in regard to all things in the universe,” Riggins said. “We see how the earth is spinning on its axis, and it’s not always perfectly stable. Sometimes there are 23 hours and 58 seconds in the day and sometimes there are 24 hours and three seconds in a day. It varies from day to day.”
The USNO has three locations: its headquarters in Washington, D.C., the USNO Alternate Master Clock at Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado and the Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station in Arizona. The official master clock and the vice president’s home are located at the Washington, D.C. base.
During Riggins’ time at the USNO, he has learned several life lessons.
“Time management is one of the most important things you can learn,” he said. “If you look at the foundation of everything you do, it’s based on time. Not only do I recognize that now, but I realized that I had taken for granted that we had time. I never really thought about how everything revolved around time until now.”
Riggins has also learned about what it means to be a leader.
“Here I am, and I have no real background in a lot of the stuff we deal with,” he said. “One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that in order to lead, you have to be able to trust your people. You have to be willing to say there’s something you don’t know and give them the opportunity to help you.”
As a U.S. Naval captain serving in Washington, D.C., Riggins has come a long way from his humble Snyder upbringing.
“I never imagined I’d be in a position like this coming from Snyder,” he said. “I’m really grateful and thank the Lord for these opportunities. Everything that I’ve done can be linked back to Snyder and all of the people who were so supportive.”