Jason grew up in Crafton, Pennsylvania, just outside Pittsburgh, and graduated from Carlynton High School in 1995. He earned a degree in business administration with a minor in leadership from Slippery Rock University in 2002, where he also excelled in the Army ROTC program. He was known for his love of sports—especially football, baseball, and golf—and for his passion for cooking and spending time with family and friends.

After commissioning as an officer through ROTC, he was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, and stationed in Friedberg, Germany. In 2003, he deployed to Baghdad, Iraq, for eleven months, serving as a tank platoon leader with the 1st Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment—known as the Bandits. He deployed again to Iraq in January 2006, serving with Task Force 1-35 Armor. Initially sent to western Nineveh Province, he moved to Ramadi in May, where he played a key role in training Iraqi soldiers. On July 24, 2006, he was killed by small- arms fire.

His legacy lives on through his wife, Juli, as well as his extended family, friends, and fellow soldiers. In his honor, the Captain Jason M. West Memorial Endowed Scholarship was established at Slippery Rock University. The Team West Memorial Race is held annually in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, to celebrate his legacy and raise funds for the scholarship and ROTC support.