The virtue of loyalty

I was having a discussion with a friend from church ( thanks Tim!) who is writing some material for a conference. The subject of the conference was on loyalty. He was exploring the different aspects of loyalty: one's loyalty to their country, team, etc. As he is thinking about it, he is asking himself " Can someone just  be loyal, or does one also have to be honest, brave, etc.? As we discussed a little of it, my mind was churning about this concept. I'd like to dive more into it the subject, but it is intriguing to me since one of John's character traits is loyalty. But, he was also honest, caring, compassionate, etc.  This friend also mentioned the " virtue of loyalty" as opposed to just a character trait. He is also exploring the idea that if one is loyalty in virtue, than it is counter-productive to be loyal to a team, country, etc. which can carry with it corruption and evil. It is interesting to explore, one of which I'd like to delve into at a later time. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts....