Recently, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jeffery Gac was invited to try out for one of four spots on the Navy’s bowling team. During the initial tryouts at NAS North Island, Calif., he not only qualified, but qualified number one, beating out 14 other bowlers and becoming the Navy’s 2011 Male Bowling Champion. 

During the tryouts, he knocked down an amazing 5,050 total pins over 24 games with an average score per game of 210. After making the team, Gac got to compete against the best male bowlers from the other three services at the 2011 Armed Forces Bowling Championships held at Naval Base San Diego, Calif. 

At the championships, he led the Navy team, finishing in eighth place for all events and taking first place with teammate Dan Theilsen of Naval Base Pearl Harbor, in the male doubles competition. He finished just 18 pins out of third place in the singles competition.

Gac’s month got even better on Dec. 29 as family and friends gathered at a ceremony in the Commander, Electronic Attack Wing U.S Pacific Fleet conference room where Capt. Thomas Slais, Commander, Electronic Attack Wing, promoted him to Chief Warrant Officer 4.

After reading the new oath, his father, retired CWO4 Jesse Gac and Slais pinned his new rank devices on his jacket and his wife, Melanie Gac, pinned his new rank on his khakis. 

The ceremony was special since his father gave him the CWO4 bars he wore in 1987 before retiring with 24 years of service. 

“I’m honored to be promoted to CWO4,” said Gac, adding that he has really enjoyed his time in the Navy and looks forward to the next six or seven years. “I have truly benefited from my father’s mentoring during my 23 years of service. He has been there just about every step of my career, from enlisting me in the Delay Entry Program, my initial enlistment before going to boot camp, my first reenlistment, pinning on my chief anchors in 2000 and commissioning me in 2004 to CWO2.”

“He is not just my dad, he is my best friend, mentor and hero and I’m truly honored to be wearing his CWO4 bars,” said Gac.