Soldiers, sailors and airmen are heading home...

Soldiers, sailors and airmen are heading home from Iraq. But someone

has to go to bring the heavy equipment back.

Midshipman Tormod Engvig, 20, a John Burroughs High School

graduate, left the United States on Good Friday with two other

midshipmen from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy to go to Dubai in

the Persian Gulf.

The son of Mona and Olaf Engvig of Burbank will serve on the

Sealift Command’s Patuxent, a 42,000-ton oil tanker, and bring the

ship back to the United States.

He will receive his Mate’s License together with a bachelor’s

degree from the academy in two years.

Engvig was on board another oiler, the Laramie, serving the

Enterprise battle group. He helped protect the East Coast when orders

came for him to ship out to the Middle East.

Glendale resident Teresa Samaniego, director of public affairs for

KABC-TV Channel 7, was honored at the American Red Cross of Greater

Los Angeles’ annual Spotlight Awards and Recognition Luncheon.

Samaniego received the Life Saving Spotlight Award for her

dedication to saving the lives of children and families through Red

Cross programs Kids Care Fair and the ABCs of a Safe Summer.

As director of public affairs, Samaniego represents ABC7 within

the Los Angeles community.

ABC7 has been the media sponsor for both the Kids Care Fair (since

1990) and the ABCs of a Safe Summer (since 1996), offering health and

safety information via PSAs, news stories and a Health Tips series.