The Stryker is a family of eight-wheeled all-wheel-drive armored vehicles used by the United States Army and was named for two American servicemen who posthuously received the Medal of Honor, Pfc Stuart S. Stryker, who died in World War II and Spc Robert F. Stryker, who died in the Vietnam War. The Stryker was employed in Stryker Brigade Combat Teams. The first Stryker brigades were deployed to Iraq in October 2003. Stryker units seem to be especially effective in urban areas, where vehicles can establish initial security positions near a building and dismount squads on a doorstep. The Stryker relies on its speed for the majority of its defense against heavy weapon systems, though it's not capable of engaging heavily armored units and relies on other units to control threats outside of its classification. Brigades equipped with the Stryker are intended to be strategically mobile.