Welcome Shawn,
We have similar backgrounds as I returned to the hobby about 2 years ago. I was stunned as to how the hobby progressed over the hiatus years, but the big attraction to me is learning all the "new" techniques and I attempt at least 1 on every model I currently build.
As to advice on airbrushing; don't mess with cheap ones. i bought 2 and it was a waste of money. I finally got a good one with a 40 % off coupon at a craft store ( Michaels ) and there is no comparison. Mine is a gravity fed Badger Patriot and now I am painting much much better with it. My compressor is one that I used as a carpenter with a 2 gallon tank on wheels. I installed a water/oil separator and a good regulator on it and it suits me just fine, albeit it's noisy, so if noise is a problem , you should get a quality "airbrush" comperssor. This is one area where you get what you pay for.
Peruse the airbrushing/painting section here in the forums for wonderfull tips and techniques and with practice, you'll be painting like a pro.