Michigan CRNAs Reflect on Their Journeys and Meaning of Veterans Day
Tory Decker stands in front of a helicopter at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan before his team made their way to Kunduz.
Mike Salmi talks with a healthcare team in Uzbekistan during his deployment on a U.S. Department of State mission in 2002.
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) have a long and distinguished history of serving on the battlefield, providing life-saving anesthesia services for over 150 years.
This Veterans Day, we recognize two CRNA military veterans, Mike Salmi and Tory Decker, who proudly served their country and continue to contribute to healthcare here at home. Mike and Tory recently joined the MANA board of directors, bringing their invaluable perspectives.
Mike Salmi’s military journey began early when he enlisted in the Michigan National Guard during high school. “I attended basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri, to get in shape for football season,” he recalls. Mike later was awarded a four-year ROTC scholarship to the University of Miami and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. After serving as a ward nurse and ER charge nurse in Wuerzburg, Germany, Mike pursued anesthesia training and later deployed to Kosovo, Uzbekistan, and Iraq, where he provided critical care in challenging environments.
To Mike, Veterans Day is a time for reflection and he often goes out of his way to thank fellow veterans. Recalling a memorable Veterans Day meal at Applebee's, he says, “I took a minute to survey the dining room and experienced unexpected emotions seeing the happy faces and camaraderie being experienced by dozens of thankful veterans.”
Tory Decker’s path to anesthesia nursing started later in life. Initially working as a mechanical engineer in the auto industry, he found the work unfulfilling and decided to explore healthcare, starting as an EMT and paramedic. “I had never met a nurse anesthetist who was unhappy or unsatisfied about their job,” he says, a realization that ultimately led him to the profession. Joining the U.S. Army Reserve in 2008, Tory served until 2021, including two tours in Afghanistan in 2016 and 2019, supporting Army Special Forces.
In 2019, Tory’s deployment involved supporting operations in some of Afghanistan’s most intense conflict zones. Working with his team, he provided essential field surgery services under challenging and often dangerous conditions. “If it was ugly, we were there,” he recalls. Tory remembers a particularly tense mission in Kunduz, where insurgents were attempting to overtake the town. Tory and his team cared for troops in the midst of active combat, adapting to limited resources and relying on their training and teamwork.
Reflecting on Veterans Day, Tory emphasizes the importance of understanding veterans’ experiences. “People are great about thanking veterans, but I would encourage them to talk with veterans to learn more about their service,” he shares. “Most veterans are eager to talk about it, so feel free to ask questions and take the opportunity to sit down and have a conversation with a veteran.”
Both Mike and Tory exemplify the courage, commitment, and compassion that CRNAs bring to their work, both in service and at home. Their stories remind us of the sacrifices that veterans make and the profound impact they continue to have on our communities.
