Keep It Simple – Francesco (Frank) A. Rizzi

Francesco (Frank) A. Rizzi

COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: Portfolio Acquisition Executive Agile Sustainment and Ammunition, Project Manager Maneuver Ammunition Systems
TITLE: Lead technical engineer
YEARS OF SERVICE IN AAW: 21
DAWIA CERTIFICATIONS: Practitioner in engineering and technical management
EDUCATION: Master of Engineering in mechanical engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology; B.S. in mechanical engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology
AWARDS: Munitions Engineering and Technology Center Employee of the Month Award (2009); Teams Tournament Award Winner for Support of Armaments Basic Course (2009 and 2010)

by Cheryl Marino

Frank Rizzi operates with a disciplined philosophy; keep things simple and balance trust with accountability. As lead technical engineer at Project Manager Maneuver Ammunition (PM MAS), he prioritizes clarity over complexity, and designs systems and relationships that are efficient, transparent and effective. Trust is given freely, but never without thoughtful verification—reflecting his belief that diligence strengthens, rather than undermines credibility.

“There are two important lessons that I’ve learned and adopted over the years,” he said. The first is the KIS [Keep It Simple] philosophy—Rizzi’s adaptation of KISS (Keep it Simple, Stupid), a design principle coined by Kelly Johnson, lead engineer for the Lockheed Skunkworks, and noted by the Navy in 1960, that implies simplicity should be a design goal. A solid principle for any profession, particularly engineering. “Many times, we tend to overthink or overcomplicate things when usually the simplest solution is the best,” he explained.

The second lesson, Rizzi said, is to trust but always verify. “When in doubt, always look to the data to verify manufacturer claims and test results.” This is especially the case with foreign munition sales. Test data is required to verify the minimum performance and safety standards are met for each lot of ammunition. “This is also the reason why we support ballistic testing and product inspection at foreign suppliers,” Rizzi said. “Verification that testing is performed according to agreed upon standards is key to ensuring delivery of safe and reliable ammunition to our foreign partners.”

In his role, Rizzi supports the chief engineer by leading a team of engineers through the acquisition of ammunition, from small to large caliber, with the development of contract requirements, evaluation of supplier proposals and test and evaluation to accept ammunition in support of our foreign munition customers.

“The greatest satisfaction I receive from my position is knowing that I’m helping to provide our allies the tools needed to defend themselves,” said Rizzi, who joined the Army Acquisition Workforce (AAW) the same year he graduated college, in 2004.

“I had a job working for the state of New Jersey as an environmental engineer, but it wasn’t the right fit for me at the time,” Rizzi said. “I wanted to contribute more to my country, so I started looking for other jobs in my area. Picatinny Arsenal was working with local colleges and had a career fair which I attended and had the opportunity to speak to several recruiters. Picatinny fulfilled what I was looking for in a career path.”

Rizzi’s first acquisition position was with The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) – Armaments Center in the Mortars Division, supporting the illumination mortars through the entire ammunition life cycle.

“As a young engineer at the time, the aspect that attracted me to the position was the level of problem solving required to support production, as well as testing and evaluation,” Rizzi said. “A good portion of my current position deals with test and evaluation. Most of our lot acceptance testing is conducted on foreign test ranges which do not always have the typical equipment we use at our U.S. proving grounds. In these cases, we have to find alternate means of collecting the data needed to verify performance and safety requirements.”

Rizzi’s goals for his current position are to “better define requirements in order to ensure that we receive the best possible product, while maintaining the lowest possible cost to the customer,” he said. “Although not yet completed, we are moving towards this goal through specification updates and well-defined contract requirements. Ultimately, through well-defined requirements, we ensure that the user receives the ammunition that meets their performance goals.”

Working within the U.S. government has allowed Rizzi to pursue multiple development assignments which, he said, have provided him the opportunity to further his AAW career.

“While at DEVCOM – Armaments Center, I served as the acting mortar research and development team lead. During my time at PAE AS&A [Portfolio Acquisition Executive, formerly Capability Program Executive Ammunition and Energetics] and PM MAS, I served as the acting chief engineer in Product Lead-Special Ammunition and Weapons Systems (PdL-SAWS). Both positions helped develop my leadership and problem-solving skills,” he said. The lessons learned from both developmental assignments allowed him to better perform in his current position within PdL-SAWS.

“The one piece of advice I would give to junior acquisition personnel is to keep an open mind on pursuing detail assignments,” he said. “They provide valuable career growth opportunities and help you develop the tools necessary to better perform your job.”

Outside of work, Rizzi enjoys woodworking. “Ultimately, the same problem-solving skills I use for work can also be applied to my hobby,” he said. “Trying to find ways of completing my projects is part of the joy I get out of it.”

“Faces of the Force” highlights the success of the Army Acquisition Workforce through the power of individual stories. Profiles are produced by the Behind The Frontlines team, working closely with public affairs officers to feature Soldiers and civilians serving in various Army acquisition disciplines. For more information, or to nominate someone, go to https://asc.army.mil/web/army-btf/.

Subscribe to BTF – the premier source of Army acquisition news and information.
For question, concerns, or more information, contact us here.