A History of Short Words

From the New York Times Crossword Puzzle

SARGE

Sat, 13 Jul '24
Someone who knows the drill, informally?
Wed, 10 Jul '24
Base boss, informally
Tue, 11 Jun '24
Military address?
Tue, 5 Oct '21
Drill conductor, informally
Wed, 18 Aug '21
V.I.P. on base