A nice idea, but, for balance reasons, I wouldn't have its members trade guns, for instance. A Rheinland deserter would keep his Wrath, and use only Rheinland gear, for instance. You wouldn't strap Splitters to it.
I do like the subtle reference to Colonel McGann, by the way, very good.
I imagine pirate ID would be perfect, and maybe take on some illegal mercenary jobs, perhaps for corporations. For instance, taking jobs from, say, Kruger, to hassle Daumann, BMM and IMG in the Omegas.
I'd probably stick to fighters, since their goals are very small scale. I imagine any gunboat crew desertion would end up with the crew murdering each other. I'd also suggest that, for instance, if a Bretonian deserted, he only desert with a single ship. So, he'd have a Templar, but no Challenger. He could maybe buy a Roc. This is similar to what QCP do, originally using Bretonian ships, but most new boats purchased being civilian.
All in all, a decent idea, but try to keep the scale somewhat small, don't overdo it.